The Violence Has Begun.
Clearcut is a 1991 Canadian horror-thriller film directed by Polish director Ryszard Bugajski and starring Graham Greene.
Peter Maguire (Ron Lea), a white lawyer in an unnamed Canadian province finds his values shaken when he meets an angry Indigenous activist named Arthur (Greene) who insists on kidnapping the head of a logging company clearcutting on native land. Maguire finds his values tested as Arthur drags them through a nightmarish journey in the wilderness.
This film provides examples of:
- Cold-Blooded Torture: Arthur takes his time to flay Bud's leg as a little down payment against all the evil he and his people have done to the natives.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: Bud Rickets is clearcutting on native land, poisoning it just for profit. Arthur takes exception to this.
- Crusading Lawyer: Peter is representing Native advocacy groups against Rickets' company and doing so because he believes in the cause. Unfortunately, they open the film losing the case and he flies to the site to deliver the bad news personally. He's very dedicated to his clients, even as he sadly doubts they will win an appeal. He soon learns Arthur does not accept the judgment of these courts.
- Driven to Suicide: Maybe. Rather than fight Peter, Arthur enigmatically steps back into the water and sinks. His image distorts before vanishing, leaving one to wonder if Arthur opted to die. Or if Wisakedjak just decided to end his game. Peter strongly implies he at least believes the latter.
- Eco-Terrorist: Arthur is an extremist who resorts to kidnapping executive Bud Rickets while torturing him physically and psychologically in retaliation not only for the clearcutting on native land, but as payment against all Rickets' people have done to Arthur's.
- The End... Or Is It?: Peter and Bud return to safety and Wilf is arrested as Arthur's apprentice. Arthur seemingly dies, but Peter has come to believe Arthur is truly the spirit known as the "Deceiver" and states he will come back sooner or later.
- Fingore: During a sweat ceremony, Arthur slices off his own finger and sings to drown out a desperate Bud trying to recite the Lord's PrayerArthur: I will cut my fingers off/and make a necklace/for this fat-fuck white guy!
- Folk Horror: Dark happenings in the woods and a terrorist who may or may not be a primordial spirit against whom Christianity is powerless against.
- God in Human Form: Wilf believes Arthur is the ancient spirit Wisakedjak, the Deceiver. He might well be right.
- Karma Houdini: If one takes the interpretation that Arthur is Wisakedjak (and that's a pretty safe assumption), he simply leaves when he decides the fun is over with Peter noting he'll be back.
- Knight Templar: At the most mundane interpretation, Arthur is brutal and willing to resort to torture and murder to prove a point. When a horrified Peter catches him having flayed Bud's leg, Arthur uses the litany of crimes against the Indigenous as justification.Peter: Enough!Arthur: Enough? This isn't enough, this is nothing! This is just one man's leg! Goddamn, you come cheap!
- Magical Native American: Played with and explored. Most of the Natives are completely everyday people and activists who simply want to prevent damage to their land. Wilf is the most spiritual of them, but even he isn't especially magic and just knows the legend of Wisakedjak while following Arthur. Arthur adheres to the ancient ways of their people, performing sweat ceremonies and tribal chants while performing what might be magic. But he's a far more brutal example who isn't here to dispense wisdom, but to enact terrible vengeance for his people and he might even be a Native American trickster spirit.
- Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: Is Arthur just an angry activist? Or is he Wisakedjak, the Deceiver? The film strongly implies the latter. Arthur repeatedly demonstrates in-depth knowledge and awareness and has a nigh-preternatural ability in the wilderness to be exactly where he wants to. Likewise when he sinks into the water at the end, his image seems to distort. But all of this could be explained away. Perhaps.
- Pacifism Breaking Point: Peter endures a whole lot from Arthur until he finally snaps at the end of the film and tries to engage him to the death.
- Secret Test of Character: Arthur pushes Peter heavily, wanting to see what it will take him to resort to violence. He's delighted when Peter finally stands up to him.
- The Trickster: Wisakedjak, the Deceiver, is a being found in Dene and Algonquin folklore. He's discussed as a classic trickster and it's strongly implied he's incarnated into the form of Arthur to show Peter that his belief in law and justice are ultimately hollow. Arthur is delighted when Peter tries to shoot him with an empty rifle, seemingly then deciding the "game" is over as he's learned what Arthur wishes to teach him.