ANDREW GLUM
Arts Writer

Those who feel that all of the 2010 Oscar award-winners were mediocre at best will have some solace in HBO’s recently released The Sunset Limited.

It may seem strange that a made-for-TV movie could surpass everything adorned with the eminent golden statue, but there are many factors that make The Sunset Limited both unique and of top-shelf quality.

For one, it was written by Cormac McCarthy, author of the novels The Road, No Country for Old Men and the highly praised Blood Meridian. The difference with The Sunset Limited is that it is not simply another case of someone else’s film adaptation of McCarthy prose — this screenplay was actually written by McCarthy (technically, he adapted his own stage play for the screen).

If a screenplay written by America’s best living novelist is not enough to intrigue, there is more. Tommy Lee Jones not only co-stars alongside Samuel L. Jackson, but he also directs. Having only directed two other films, both of which are unremarkable, he has truly outdone himself with this project.

Realistically, The Sunset Limited probably didn’t really need a director in the usual sense. A film which is so extremely dialogue-driven that it takes place only in one room with only two characters probably only needs two talented, experienced actors who can hammer it out together.

And these two actors do hammer it out quite nicely. It is refreshing to see Jackson performing in a film that isn’t a complete waste of his talent. While it is impressive that he can make even a piece of garbage like Snakes on a Plane watchable, it is preferable that he connect his acting ability with an equally notable script.

The most impressive aspect of the film, however, I’ve already hinted at: how dialogue-driven it is. As film technology progresses, it becomes more and more rare to see films focus primarily on dialogue. Instead, most contemporary films focus on visual effects, and while this is not inherently bad, the visual effects too often lack any symbolic connection to the given film’s theme or content, and serve only as a kind of decoration, culminating in a final product that will be completely forgotten within a year.

While there are many films that could be deemed “dialogue-driven,” those that really challenge themselves in this regard are usually limited in the amount of different settings, and avoid flashbacks.

The Sunset Limited is outstanding in this regard: it is literally just two men talking in one room for an hour and a half, and yet it is constantly interesting. I think one would have to go back to the 1957 film 12 Angry Men to find something of comparable quality that takes place in just one room (one could make an argument for the film versions of Samuel Beckett’s plays, but that’s a whole different discussion).

While a unique form is not enough in and of itself to make a good film, it is the thought-provoking content, elegant writing and skilled acting that combine to make The Sunset Limited such a beautiful work.