The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005)

Directed by: Tommy Lee Jones | 121 minutes | drama, western | Actors: Tommy Lee Jones, Barry Pepper, Julio César Cedillo, Dwight Yoakam, January Jones, Melissa Leo, Levon Helm, Mel Rodriguez, Vanessa Bauche, Cecilia Suárez, Ignacio Guadalupe, Irineo Alvarez, Guillermo Arriaga, Josh Berry, Rodger Boyce, René Campero, Sonny Carl Davis, Jesse De Luna, Richard Dillard, Jourdan Henderson, Sean Hennigan, Karen Jones, Richard Jones, Victoria Jones, Lonnie Nelson, Gabriel Olds, Terry Parks, Gustavo Sánchez Parra, Brent Smiga, Spike Spencer, Angelina Torres, Barry Tubb, Guillermo Von Son

The long shots of desert-like landscapes, the branding of horses and cows, telling silences and stirring harmonica solos. They are elements from the classic Western film, which often no longer make it to the cinema with the arrival of all major Hollywood productions. Tommy Lee Jones breathes new life into this genre with his directorial debut by filming life on the border between the United States and Mexico in ‘The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada’ (or: ‘Three Burials’). In the movie, Pete’s best friend is killed by a border guard and no one seems to care.

But first things first, the beginning of ‘Three Burials’ is long-winded and unclear to say the least. You would almost think that Tommy Lee Jones thought the first part of his film was so boring that he cut it up and edited it in non-chronological order. Not a disaster in itself, because in a film like ‘Memento’ (2000, Christopher Nolan) that makes it all the more special, but in ‘Three Burials’ it has no extra value and only leads to a lot of confusion.

However, as the film picks up some momentum, it becomes increasingly clear where the plot is headed: Pete has promised his friend Melquiades to bury him in his hometown in Mexico, and he won’t rest until he does him that last favor. In the middle of the night he goes to Mike Norton, the killer of Melquiades, and has him exhume the body. It’s wonderful to see Mike’s flamboyance melt like snow in the sun against the determination of the cunning Pete.

The classic western that was ‘Three Burials’ until then turns into a kind of road movie when Pete takes Melquiades’ killer on his journey to Mexico. And, as might be expected, a certain bond develops between Pete and Mike, who increasingly seem to realize that he’s made a big mistake. That doesn’t change the fact that the two can’t stand each other, which results in some very funny confrontations that are mainly due to the great acting of both good old Tommy Lee Jones and the now-breaking Barry Pepper.

When Pete and Mike learn that Melquiades has no family at all, and even his hometown is a village that doesn’t exist, Pete decides to bury him in a place that most closely matches the description Melquiades gave him. In a gruesome scene, Pete forces Mike to ask forgiveness from Melquiades. Annoyed by the arduous journey and everything he’s been through in it, Mike finally realizes that his attitude toward the Mexicans has been completely wrong.

Still, it’s not just the acting that makes ‘Three Burials’ so good. It’s Tommy Lee Jones’ eye for detail. Apart from the twisted opening scene, every event in the film has a meaning, and we also see overwhelming shots of the landscapes, the battle between the two characters with themselves and with each other and the almost funny country music that gives way to the strumming of Mexican guitars. ‘Three Burials’ is a thriller, drama, western and road movie in one and it’s not even disturbing. On the contrary.