Westerns are considered a masculine genre.
Steeped in the genre’s roots are stories featuring larger than life men fighting outlaws and taming the American landscape. As numerous as these stories are, seldom are their tender moments to see these men desire. There are exceptions, which director Pedro Almodóvar cited as influences like Warlock and the camp classic Johnny Guitar. However, it’s clear Almodóvar wanted to utilize the western tropes of lone gunmen to tell a tale of desire and fate. Almodóvar captured that passion and pain perfectly in his short film Strange Way of Life.
Strange Way of Live follows the reunion of Sheriff Jake (Ethan Hawke) and gunslinger Silva (Pedro Pascal) twenty years after they road together as outlaws. Hawke and Pascal’s chemistry is scorching, percolating with hidden glances and subtle body language, speaking to a rich history between the former lovers. The strength of Ethan Hawke’s striking gaze and Pedro Pascal’s vulnerable quivers make their dialogue flow and burst like firecrackers. The film isn’t explicit, but it doesn’t need to be, as Almodóvar’s heated dialogue and direction give our imaginations ingredients to run wild.
Beyond the erotic, Pedro Almodóvar keeps the tone weaving between campy, romantic, and tragic with ease. As we learn why Silva visited Jake after all these years, and about Jake ’s case to catch his sister-in-law’s killer, you feel the hurt of the years they lost together. Rather than Jake and Silva breaking up due to systemic homophobia of the time, they were separated by life itself. They had obligations, obstacles stemming from regular life stresses that weren’t easy to walk away from. Anyone can relate to these two, where you feel a powerful, passionate connection that unfortunately couldn’t last forever. Their relatability makes their romance more heartfelt and tragic.
Strange Way of Life is a sexy love story that’s sure to get blood flowing and eyes weeping. It’s an erotic affair with a gorgeous production design and rich characters with history that extends far beyond the film itself. Even if this is the only story Pedro Almodovar wants to tell with these two, I do hope we see them again soon. Beauty like in this deserves to flourish.
Strange Way of Life will be having a limited theatric release starting October 4th