Lansdale, an American novelist and martial arts instructor, has been dubbed an absurdist third-rate writer, though this compliment is hardly justified. He is rather easy to approach, writes honorarily and is incredibly funny. A good example is his most recent work, The Thicket. This novel is rich with twists and vivid characters, and Lansdale is always true to his voice. In the very first pages we can read a quote that rather boldly introduces the context of the work: ‘I was not aware that the day my grandfather took me and my sister Lula to the ferry, I was to end up in the wild company of a gun shooting dwarf, a big hog and a slave, but that is how it was.’ A cursory analysis of his work allows one to conclude that he is a master of storytelling who captivates the audience with every aspect of the narrative.
The recent film adaptation of this novel featured some famous names as well. One of the producers was the star of the film – Peter Dinklage, who played the main role of Reginald Jones, and everyone remembers Dinklage for his incredible abilities as an actor. The movie tries to cram inappropriate elements in Lansdale’s work. It tries to downplay this by presenting itself under numerous formal quotations: ‘Inspired by true events.’
This sarcasm-prone, no holds barred bounty hunter, hires Eustace (Gbenga Akinnagbe from the show The Wire) and claims to be on a mission to the “Wild West”. He gets hired by Jack (Levon Hawke, son of the famous actors Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman) who is a Christian teen looking for his kidnapped sister Amy (who is played by the British actress Esme Creed-Miles), taken by the old and violent outlaw Cutthroat Bill (played by Juliette Lewis) and her band of nasty thugs.
The novel becomes reminiscent of title novels that got well famously in the world of cinema including “True Grit” and “The Searchers.” On the same note, the title brings in a lot of inspiration from the low-tone spaghetti western movies that were directed by Italian director Sergio Corbucci, in addition to many others like Andrew Dominik and his movie “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.” viewers brace themselves with a lawless narrative where Chris Kelley’s menacing civilization had been taken right out of a nightmare; full of mentally unstable people in desperate survival and borderline insanity.
(And yet, in contrast to the characters common in Lansdale’s book, none of the publications here seems to have a racist bone within them.) This means our naive siblings also get their lumps first before getting ready to toughen up to survive in this cruel and cold world. It’s already enough that their parents have succumbed to smallpox, before this whole hell ride commenced, their grandfather, Guy Sprung, in the process of taking them to an aunt in Kansas was shot by Bill.
Lester and Kelley are yet to master their artistry in battle. They still deliver the ‘oh my gosh’ moments by giving someone a beating every now and then. Apologies to the rest, because at least Dinklage (in surly but wise mode) and Akinnagbe (confident and heroic) have chemistry that quite interesting to the audiences as they continue this journey which could easily lead to their doom. – Some of the other castmates, on the other hand, are unsure whether to go straight or go all out.
With a voice akin to a rasps, khaki wearing Calamity Jane and Captain Jack Sparrow combined, Lewis glides around the burglar voice with ease. She is now a large, terrible, rough-around-the-edges girl who has survived years of abusive men’s domination, something Lansdale originally intended to include in the plot. Yet Lewis is unrepentantly annoying and insane, busy gnawing on a licorice stick when she’s not busy gnawing on trees. There’s also some strange casting such as James Hetfield from Metallica, replacing Jones with a deputy, and Andrew Schultz, a spoiled comedian/podcaster, who appears to be everywhere, as a pissed-off whoremonger when Roy leaves his brothel with a captive employee. Halfway through the intended Batgirl Leslie Grace’s career, she inexplicably gets an afro.
Those who appreciate an action thriller such as “The Thicket” to depict unforgiving violence in the most entertaining and sadistic manner might be able to watch it (a good example would be those looking for DIY hood films). However, the excessive amount of ‘Sturm und Drang’ will put off viewers who would otherwise enjoy a simple shoot ’em up, like the writer of the man whose book inspired this rather crass period piece.
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