Before moving on to the movie about the journey through the stunning landscapes of Colorado, I would like to draw your attention to a few pictures and quotes.
In 1860, 60 million buffalo roamed the American West. 20 years later, their population had dwindled to less than 300.
Today there are about 30,000 buffalo in North America.
I would like to skip the tragic part of the story by skipping what human beings are capable of, but let me warn you from the beginning; throughout the whole movie, you will be informed about the dimensions of the tragedy and you may feel guilty through the empathy you build.
Nicolas Cage is one of the few actors whose acting I admire. I have a preconceived notion about him because of the characters he creates in many of his movies. I've always found commonalities between the different characters he creates and this commonality has always suited Nicolas.
In Butcher's Crossing, however, I encountered the character of Miller, who is not at all the same as the Nicolas Cage characters I have been accustomed to so far. The character, who I found quite strange at the beginning, managed to make his presence felt in the flow of the story with his unique movements and stance.
The character of Miller, with his shaved head and curly long beard, became synonymous with Nicolas Cage and added to the characters created by Nicolas.
Butcher's Crossing was a great movie in terms of watchability, with its story of buffalo hunting in Colorado's stunning spring and winter scenery, and a story that shows that there is nothing human beings cannot do for the greed of money.
Genocide or massacre or unconscious hunting, whatever you want to call it, the only possible outcome is to wipe out a species.
Throughout the film, as the characters reflect on their inner world, their struggle to survive and question the morality of what they do, their ability to draw the audience into the story through empathy is enhanced.
The movie is a candidate to be a masterpiece because of the values it presents and the mastery of Nicolas Cage. Hoping to raise your sensitivity towards endangered species, I strongly recommend you to watch the movie. I hope you will get much more than the pleasure I got and the lesson I learned. I wish you a good watch in advance.
