The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
Written by Guillermo Arriaga
Directed by Tommy Lee Jones
Sony Pictures Classics
2005
Rating:


The specter of Sam Peckinpah looms large over "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada." If director-star Tommy Lee Jones and screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga ("21 Grams," "Amores Perros") had shared Bloody Sam's unsentimental view of men in the throes of a moral crisis, this film could've been a worthy descendant of "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia." Instead, Arriaga's script is more intent on securing the screenwriter's reputation as the "Latino Tarantino" — rife as it is with gimmicky flashbacks, chapter titles and admittedly funny gallows humor — than "pouring new wine into the bottle of the Western" and exploding the bottle, as critic Pauline Kael once said of Peckinpah.

Jones solemnly portrays Pete Perkins, a close friend of illegal immigrant Melquiades (Julio Cesar Cedillo) out to avenge the Mexican's death. Pete soon discovers that Melquiades was shot by border patrolman Mike Norton (Barry Pepper) and kidnaps the officer. Pete forces Mike to dig up Melquiades' body and they travel on horseback to give Melquiades a proper burial in Mexico.

"The Three Burials" is merely a good western instead of a great one because the characterizations regress to the antiquated notion that, figuratively, heroes must wear white hats and villains must wear black ones. Pete has such a secure hold on his sense of justice that the final outcome is never in doubt. He doesn't grapple with the severity of his vengeance or find himself going too far into darkness. Pete's only questionable action is his sexual relationship with a married waitress (Melissa Leo). Mike, meanwhile, doesn't hesitate to beat down Mexicans trying to cross the border, masturbate to "Hustler" while on patrol or bend over his bored wife (January Jones) in the kitchen for a quickie.

Considering the flaws, it's amazing the material still works as well as it does. "The Journey," as the third section of the film is called, has an urgency to it as Pete and Mike travel a road that either leads to redemption or hell. The strong sense of sentiment in the film, surprising in such a gritty western, is ultimately heartrending. Both men will cry at the last of Melquiades' burials, but only one of them will be able to go home.

Posted Wednesday, December 21, 2005

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