Shotgun Stories

The title makes it sound like a macho shoot-'em-up but in fact this film is a low-key, slow-moving meditation of violence and a family feud. There's a surprising amount of humour, both verbal and observational, but the real focus is the long-standing hatred between two sets of half-brothers. The background is sketchily filled in via hints in the dialogue although some things, such as the scars of shotgun pellets on Son's back, are left intriguingly vague. Ultimately it's even a hopeful film, despite the economic poverty of both sets of brothers and the lack of prospects for the majority of the characters. The feud hasn't been resolved, but two of the half-brothers have had the courage to back away from the violence that has already wrecked both families. That counts as a huge victory offering hope for the next generation.