British Council Logo UK Films Database
Project Detail

The Proposition

Synopsis

Set in Australia in the 1880s, the film opens in the middle of a frenzied gunfight between the police and a gang of outlaws. Charlie Burns (Guy Pearce) and his brother Mikey are captured by Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone). Together with their psychopathic brother Arthur (Danny Huston), they are wanted for a brutal crime. Stanley makes Charlie a seemingly impossible proposition in an attempt to bring an end to the cycle of bloody violence.

Emily Watson plays Stanley’s wife Martha Stanley; John Hurt plays the bounty hunter Jellon Lamb and David Wenham plays Eden Fletcher, the powerful local landowner.

Details

Year
2005
Type of project
Features
Format
35mm
Director
John Hillcoat
Producer
Cat Villiers, Chiara Menage, Chris Brown, Jackie O' Sullivan
Editor
Jon Gregory
Screenwriter
Nick Cave
Director of Photography
Benoit Delhomme
Composer
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis
Principal cast
Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, John Hurt, David Wenham and Emily Watson
Sound Recordist
Craig Walmsley
Sound Supervisor
Paul Davies

Genre

Action Drama

Categories

Fiction

Production Status

Complete

Production Company

Co-produced by Autonomous (UK) and Jackie O Productions (Australia) for SureFire Films

Sales Company

The Works

4 Great Portland Street
Portland House
London W1W 8QJ
UK

T+44 (0)20 7612 1080

joy@theworksltd.com

Page updates

This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.

Suggest amendments

See also

You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.

Everybody Wants to F*ck Me Everybody Wants to F*ck Me

Director: Jonathan Schey

Year: 2026

Adam strives to present as a sensitive feminist but behind the facade he's a serial womaniser. After a one night stand with a mysterious stranger leaves him suddenly irresistible, Adam's dream quickly turns into a nightmare. Official Selection Toronto International Film Festival 2026 - World premiere

Comedy Thriller
Faith Faith

Director: Paul Andrew Williams

Year: 2026

Gina, a single mother, meets Michael, an enigmatic stranger. As their relationship deepens, Michael's extraordinary true identity is revealed, teaching Gina to embrace life fully again. Official Selection Toronto International Film Festival 2026 - World premiere

Drama Fantasy Thriller
Up Against It Up Against It

Director: Trudie Styler

Year: 2026

When a divorced couple's daughter falls ill, doctors tell her parents the only cure is for them to have another child who could save their sister. Official Selection Toronto International Film Festival 2026 - World premiere

Comedy Drama Romance