The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada

The popular actor Tommy Lee Jones has also become a successful director with The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada. The film, in which he plays a leading role, immediately won a prize at Cannes. This contemporary Western, set in Jones’ home state of Texas, is situated in the sweltering and complex border area between the United States and Mexico. Here, ranch cowboy Pete Perkins (Jones) has taken on the illegal Mexican worker Melquiades Estrada, with whom he has already built up a powerful bond. When Estrada is accidentally murdered by a border patrol and buried in secret, it’s time for Perkins to cash in his promise to his friend and bury him in his hometown in Mexico. The well-constructed scenario by the Mexican Guillermo Arriaga (21 Grams, Amores perros) and the convincing acting by leading and supporting actors both serve to ensure that the film transcends the customary patterns of the Western. The actors portray characters with many layers and turn out to be human and provide room for humour and absurdity. At the same time, the film leans on a higher morality: every life counts, even on the often lawless plains of Texas, beautifully and colourfully photographed by Chris Menges. (SdH)

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