THE RIDER

The Rider is a powerful deconstruction of American masculinity and the American cowboy archetype. It's a minimalist drama that feels lyrical and poetic in nature and form.

The Rider stands out for its vulnerability, trauma, and the idea of broken dreams promised by American masculinity. It feels timely in an era where masculinity is in crisis and constantly interrogated in modern-day culture and politics.

The Rider redefines the American West for the 21st century with its fragile, segregated neighbourhoods, rampant poverty, and a commercialized rodeo culture that has taken root in segregated communities.

The film explores the tension between the American cowboy ideal and the harsh societal and capitalist forces that exploit men's economic status while perpetuating the mythologized American masculine ideal. It's a compelling narrative.

The Rider is thematically preoccupied with ideas of identity, belonging, parental neglect, and systemic poverty. Absent and neglectful parents dominate the narrative throughout Rider. It thematically parallels Chloe Zhao's debut feature, Songs My Brothers Told Me.

Loss of identity and masculinity are potent themes in The Rider. Brady Jandreau(Brady Blackburn) faces a reckoning with his shattered dreams and his desire to reclaim his former identity as a rodeo cowboy. It's mirrored with his friend Lane Scott's body condition( Brady's friend)

Overall, The Rider is emotionally resonant and lyrical in nature. Its docu-fiction realist nature allows for nuanced depictions of marginalized communities without sensationalising them. It's a powerful piece of work.

Technically, The Rider is lyrical in its minimalist and grounded tone. Natural light, soft focus, handheld movement, magic light, and intimate framing accentuate the lush visuals and grounded tone.

The raw and intimate acting provides layers, depth, chemistry, and emotional attachment. The rhythmic pacing guides and shapes the film's narrative with stylized flashbacks, smash cuts, and jump cuts.

The mellow score strengthens the film's themes and provides the emotional thrust to the film's narrative. The soundscape is dominated by ambience, silence lending to an organic soundscape. The authentic cast provides an immersive realism in the narrative drama.

The authentic production design amplifies the lived-in aspect of reservation life and deconstructs the American West. The minimal effects contribute to the realism and the documentarian narrative. Overall, The Rider is great lyrical cinema.

Writing: 10/10

Direction: 10/10

Cinematography: 10/10

Acting: 10/10

Editing: 10/10

Score: 8/10

Sound: 8/10

Prod Design: 10/10

Casting: 9/10

Effects: 6/10

Overall Score: 9.1/10