With liquor and blood, ‘Lawless’ a gory choice

Boxes of moonshine, gangsters with tommy guns and invincible hillbillies come together in the…

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Jason Clarke, Tom Hardy and Shia LaBeouf star in “Lawless.”

Boxes of moonshine, gangsters with tommy guns and invincible hillbillies come together in the film “Lawless,” proving that anything was possible with a little liquor and some physical force during Prohibition.

Set in a rustic, country town outside of Chicago, “Lawless” tells the story of the Bondurant brothers, three seemingly indestructible boys who will do anything to keep their bootlegging business afloat. Even when special deputy Charlie Rakes (Guy Pearce) comes from the city to shut down their operation, the three fight back in a bloody demonstration of urban versus rural societies in a time when even the law no longer applied.

Using extraordinary means, Rakes tries to reinstitute the law in a corrupt system during desperate times. He uses excessively violent measures to intimidate the defiant brothers and their few allies, sending the movie into a gory mess.

Herein lies the main problem with “Lawless.” Dramatically violent to the point of being disturbing, the film has plenty of scenes that make audience members squirm in their seats. At one point, Rakes pours a bucket of boiling tar over the Bondurant brothers’ cousin and covers him in feathers in order to prove a point. Although his actions are used to embody a certain attitude present in the time of Prohibition, a period that shook the country into a state of severe unrest, the film takes every opportunity to shock viewers with its intense nature.

But the film exposes an interesting time in American history that is frequently dismissed. There are few movies that use the setting of the Prohibition — a tumultuous period when greedy Americans would do anything for a drop of liquor. “Lawless” draws on various themes, from the juxtaposition of urban and rural life to the courting habits of young men. The characters take on expected and well-known roles from this particular era, each actor working to demonstrate the complicated facets of life during this time.

Tom Hardy performs excellently as the introverted yet brilliant hillbilly-turned-businessman who acts as the driving force behind the bootlegging business. His rugged appearance and brusque behavior intimidate the other characters in the film, allowing his character, Forrest, to serve as an impervious leader during the turbulent times.

As with other roles he has played, Hardy adopts his character’s persona splendidly and drives the plot as one of the film’s leading characters.

Jessica Chastain takes on the role of a bruised, seductive dancer from Chicago looking for a quiet life in the country. Alongside Hardy, Chastain acts as a damsel in distress who needs protection, a typical female character of the time period.

Shia LaBeouf doesn’t bring much to his character as the scrawny brother searching for respect. He acts competently in his role but does not outshine the other actors, who all bring something fresh to the bloody film.

Strengthened by compelling themes but overly gory, “Lawless” makes a good attempt at recreating the Prohibition era and placing it on the big screen. For audience members who can get past the blood and violent measures, this movie will surely offer a historic look at that time in the United States when the law didn’t apply to anyone.