A BLEAK and cruel film, The Proposition is exceptionally well made.

Set in the Australian outback in the 19th century, the film is the story of three criminal brothers and the policeman trying to capture them.

Ray Winstone plays Captain Stanley who is sent, with his prim and proper wife (Emily Watson), to capture the Burns brothers who are led by the psychotic Arthur (Danny Huston).

When he catches the two younger (and less culpable) brothers he decides to send the middle brother Charlie (Guy Pearce) after Arthur telling him that it is the only way to save the baby of the family from the gallows.

Whichever way you look at this it can't end well. And the only downside to this riveting movie is the fact that you can picture the final scene just by reading the back of the DVD box.

The landscape is harsh and the people are worse all the nastiness comes to the surface pretty quickly.

Pearce does well to make his character at least likeable and Huston does a good turn as the psycho. Winstone and Watson do a very good job as always and John Hurt is exceptional in a very minor role.

One thing, for sure though, is that this film won't do much for the Australian Tourist Board the place looks like a horrible, flyblown, scorching nightmare.