“Lawless” is a film starring Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, and Jessica Chastain, among others, and is based on a true story of bootlegging brothers in rural Virginia during the Prohibition Era.
The setting of the film is in Franklin County, Virginia, and the story is based on the historical novel “The Wettest County in the World”, written by Matt Bondurant. Bondurant is the grandson and grandnephew of the stories central characters, “the Bondurant boys,” known for being “moonshiners” during Prohibition.
“Moonshining” got its name as more and more country folk took to distilling illegal liquor by the light of the moon, when the smoke from their stills would be less likely to be spotted by law enforcement officers. Backwoods moonshine operations were often the only means of monetary income for rural families during the Great Depression.
The movie stays fairly true to the historical time period, combining a convenient tie-in of urban organized crime with the rural gentry. Small time moonshiners could make a considerably larger profit if they dealt directly to big-city mobsters with powerful connections.
Herein lies the problem for “the Bondurant boys.” Howard, the eldest brother, is a traumatized veteran of World War I, and is in no shape to handle the day-to-day operations of a moonshine business. Australian actor Jason Clarke portrays Howard Bondurant.
Forrest Bondurant, portrayed by Tom Hardy, is the quiet, purposeful middle brother whose business sense keeps the family together. Yet, his methodical nature and shortsightedness also threaten to tear the family apart.
Shia LaBeouf portrays the youngest brother, Jack. LaBeouf’s character is the weakest of the three, not prone to violent action like his elder brothers. His innocence and naïveté will be systematically eroded through the course of the film.
Enter the villain, Special Deputy Charley Rakes, whose violent nature is enthusiastically portrayed by actor Guy Pierce. This is easily the darkest character portrayal in Pierce’s repertoire, and his superb acting nearly steals each scene in which he appears.
“Lawless” also features the exceptional actor Gary Oldman, who also appeared with Tom Hardy in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises.” Hardy portrayed Bane, the villain in that film, while Oldman played Commissioner Gordon.
Oldman takes a break from the good guy role in “Lawless,” portraying a cold-blooded, Tommy gun-wielding gangster. His appearances in the film, while few, are quite memorable.
Hardy, LaBeouf, and Clarke all turn in strong performances, each struggling with their own inner demons as the simmering cauldron of moonshine seems ready to boil over at any time. Crooked politicians and policemen are trying to shut down their operation, and with it, their livelihood during the worst economic disaster in American history.
To say that the brothers will not take this meddling lightly is to say that moonshine was unpopular. The violence starts early in the film, and becomes downright brutal at times. While perhaps dramatized for effect, rum-running, bootlegging, and moonshining operations weren’t exactly safe.
Suffice it to say that this film has definite star power, solid character acting, and an action plot that moves fluidly throughout. While perhaps not exactly a date-night flick due to the abundant violence, “Lawless” does throw in a love story for good measure.
Grade: Solid “B”