**_Heart of Darkness in Australia_** Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone) is the new lawman of the territory and he's determined to civilize the brutal wasteland. A band of outlaws comprised of three brothers and a few others stand in his way. Yet two of the brothers want out after their sibling leader commits a crime in one of his raids. The two are apprehended by Capt. Stanley, who offers a proposition to the older of the two (Guy Pearce): Find and assassinate the leader and both will go free. "The Proposition" (2005) is a Western that takes place in Australia, yet it's far from a typical Western. The filmmaking, cinematography, actors, locations, soundtrack and editing are top-of-the-line with a surreal, haunting edge. As my title blurb suggests, there are similarities to "Heart of Darkness" and the original "Apocalypse Now," although it fails to achieve the greatness of the latter. The story plays out in a realistic manner with long stretches of drama and bleak landscapes interspersed with flashes of extreme violence. Ray Winstone and Guy Pearce are great as the two main protagonists. Capt. Stanley understandably wants to rid the land of the brute outlaws, whereas Charlie seeks redemption for himself and his little brother. Danny Huston is captivating as the focal point and villain, Arthur Burns. Yet he's not a villain in the cliched sense and he's not one-dimensional. He loves the beauty of God's creation, he loves the art of language and he's a mystic of sorts, but he clearly crossed the line at some point in his outlaw endeavors and now must be wiped off the face of the planet. Will Charlie do it? My only criticism is that the film seems too short at 1 hour, 44 minutes. It needed more time for details and character development. As it is, we sort of have to guess the details, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I just wish the film would have gone the route of "Apocalypse Now" and given us more definition and development. At the end of the day, this is one of those films that gets better with repeat viewings, as long as you like the approach of films like "Apocalypse Now," just way shorter (too short). I would love to see a Director's Cut that adds about 20-45 minutes. It was shot in Winton, Queensland, which is in the northeast Outback of Australia. GRADE: B+