Old Henry

Old Henry is a 2021 American westernaction drama film written and directed by Potsy Ponciroli. It stars Tim Blake Nelson as the titular character, a farmer who must protect his son from outlaws, with Scott Haze, Gavin Lewis, Trace Adkins, and Stephen Dorff in supporting roles. The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 7, 2021, and was theatrically released in the United States by Shout! Studios on October 1. It was critically acclaimed for the story, Ponciroli's direction, and Nelson's performance. The National Board of Review selected the film in its annual list of the Top Ten Independent Films of the year.

In 1906, widower Henry McCarty and his son Wyatt reside on a farm in the Oklahoma Territory, near that of Henry's brother-in-law, Al. After a lost horse appears on their farm with a bloodstained saddle, Henry locates its owner, a man named Curry, who is near death. A pistol and a satchel filled with money are found beside Curry. Initially disinclined to intervene, Henry departs on horseback, intending to leave the wounded man there. However, he reconsiders, returning to the farm with the unconscious Curry and the satchel. Henry subsequently questions Curry, who identifies himself as a sheriff and the only survivor of a posse dispatched to apprehend a group of outlaws. Curry requests assistance in preventing the outlaws from recovering the stolen money.

After Henry leaves to get the doctor, Wyatt surreptitiously takes Curry's firearm to practice his marksmanship. Curry breaks free and attempts to retrieve the weapon, but Henry intervenes, subduing him. Henry discloses that he reversed course after observing three individuals examining the location where he discovered Curry. The group, led by Sam Ketchum and displaying lawmen's badges, arrive at the farm seeking Curry. They allege that Curry is the true outlaw, but their inquiries into Henry's identity and family raise his concerns.

Following a tense standoff, the men depart, and Henry keeps Curry tied up. Later that evening, Curry shares intimate knowledge of individuals known to Henry, prompting Henry to untie one of his hands. Curry tells him that, as a young ranch hand, he witnessed the death of Billy the Kid. Dugan, one of Ketchum's men, then attempts to ambush Henry, but Henry discovers him, forcing him out with a shotgun and subsequently strangling him in front of Wyatt.

في صباح اليوم التالي، عاد كيتشوم وعصابته. حثّ كاري هنري على الاستسلام، مُجادلاً بأنه هو ووايت لا يجب أن يُضحّيا بأنفسهما من أجله. لكن كيتشوم كشف أنه احتجز آل رهينة، وعندما رفض هنري الاستسلام، أطلق النار عليه. بعد أن منع ابنه من الخروج، تسلح هنري، مُوصياً وايت قائلاً: "اهدأ، ستكون بخير". أدرك كاري أن هذه العبارة كانت نصيحةً وجّهها له بيلي ذا كيد عندما كان صبياً، مُدركاً أن هنري هو في الواقع بيلي ذا كيد، وأنه وبات غاريت زوّرا موته.

يتظاهر هنري بالاستسلام قبل أن يطلق النار على كيتشوم، ويقتل عدة رجال، ثم يعود إلى المزرعة ويتسلل من الباب الخلفي. وبينما يصد كاري ووايت بقية أفراد العصابة، يقضي هنري عليهم خلسةً حتى لا يبقى سوى ستيلويل، متعقب العصابة. يرمي ستيلويل مسدساته ويحاول إلقاء سكين، لكن هنري يطلق النار عليها من يده ثم يصيبه في عينه.

يتصاعد الموقف مع عودة كيتشوم، كاشفًا أن رصاصة هنري لم تُصب سوى جرح في وجهه. يندلع تبادل لإطلاق النار، ينتهي بنفاد ذخيرة كيتشوم، فيقتله هنري. عند عودته إلى المنزل، يستعد هنري لعلاج كاري المصاب، ليكتشف وجود علامة إجرامية على ذراعه. يطلق كاري النار على هنري في بطنه، ثم يعترف له بهويته الحقيقية كشريف انضم إلى عصابة كيتشوم مع نوابه، لكنه حاول الهرب عندما أدرك نية كيتشوم قتلهم. يعرب كاري عن ندمه، لأن هنري كان لطيفًا معه في صغره، لكنه يضيف أنه سيصبح الآن الرجل الذي قتل بيلي ذا كيد.

يصل وايت ويقتل كاري قبل أن يتمكن من إطلاق النار على هنري مرة أخرى. قبل موته، يتحدث هنري عن ندمه، لكنه يعرب عن فخره بابنه وأمله في أن يجد وايت مكانه في العالم. يدفن وايت والده بجانب والدته ثم يغادر المزرعة، ويفترض أنه أخذ أموال العصابة معه.

In an interview, Tim Blake Nelson said starring in the 2018 Western film The Ballad of Buster Scruggs taught him how to handle a gun, "I was working with guns every day for about five months to be able to do the pistol tricks."^[1] On December 15, 2020, Hideout Pictures and Shout! Studios announced a partnership to produce, finance, and distribute three Westerns, including Old Henry from writer and director Potsy Ponciroli.^[2] According to Nelson, he was heating up his food when he came across an email that offered him the title role. He told GQ that his initial response was to say, "Well, it happened. You've been offered a character that's described as old."^[1]

During pre-production, Nelson spent six months researching how his character would sound and move. He then spent another six months working on the 100-page screenplay with Ponciroli and two months physically preparing his body to handle a gun, ride a horse, and get in shape to look like a farmer.^[3] Nelson's role in the film was confirmed on January 12, 2021.^[4] On his performance, he says he "wanted for Henry by the end of the movie to be vastly different from the character he was at the beginning of the movie, and for the audience to never be able to name a single moment where the transformation happens."^[3]

Nelson feared the public would negatively compare his role as Henry to his performance as Buster Scruggs, characters he finds to be "opposites". He spoke with Ponciroli about the issue and the pair agreed the film would not feature gunspinning; the final product features one spin during the film's finale that serves as a "punctuation".^[5] On January 14, 2021, Stephen Dorff, Trace Adkins, Scott Haze, and Gavin Lewis joined the cast.^[6]Principal photography for Old Henry took place in Tennessee between January and March 2021.^[6][7]

عُرض فيلم "أولد هنري" لأول مرة عالميًا خارج المسابقة في مهرجان البندقية السينمائي في 7 سبتمبر 2021. ^{[ 8 ]} ثم عُرض في حوالي 30 دار عرض في الولايات المتحدة في 1 أكتوبر 2021. وفي نيويورك، استضاف ستيف بوسيمي جلسة أسئلة وأجوبة مع نيلسون في سينما كواد في يوم الافتتاح. وفي 8 أكتوبر، أُتيح الفيلم عبر خدمة الفيديو حسب الطلب . ^{[ 9 ]} وحقق نجاحًا مفاجئًا على هذه الخدمة، إذ بقي ضمن قائمة أفضل عشرة أفلام على آيتونز لمدة شهرين متتاليين بعد إصداره الأولي. ^{[ 10 ]}

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