‘The Settlers’ Review – A Harsh, Visually Captivating International Western

Writer-director Felipe Gálvez Haberle’s brilliant feature-length debut, The Settlers, follows the story of three men, a Scot, a Texan, and a Chilean half-blood native, as they are tasked with designating their employer’s land to prepare a route to the Atlantic Ocean for his sheep. As they journey along, the Chilean, Segundo (Camilo Arancibia), must come to terms with the more sinister motivations behind their quest that involves his own people. This Western-inspired drama digs deep into an under-discussed piece of Chilean history that sheds light on the genocide of the Selk’nam natives in the early 20th century. The story not only highlights this tragedy but is also a great character study of the types of men who ran the world during this time.

The most striking piece of the film is the cinematography helmed by Simone D’Arcangelo, particularly the use of a 3:2 aspect ratio. This ratio allows for intense close-ups on our characters as well as unique wide shots that show off the beautiful Chilean landscape. The journey takes our trio from the mountains of the Andes to the beaches of the Atlantic, and every frame is breathtaking and filled with deep blues and greens that give the movie an alluring realism that draws you in. The majority of the film takes place outside in the Chilean wilderness and displays the type of life the natives had that was put in jeopardy because of people like our trio and their employer, Menéndez, who is expanding his territory at any cost. This is established early in the film as Menéndez sends one of his workers to an unfortunate end after an injury on the job. Anyone who comes between him and what he wants is likely to be subject to the same fate.

The three performances at the center of the film, Arancibia as Segundo, Mark Stanley as Lieutenant MacLennan, and Benjamin Westfall as Bill, each contain unique elements that combined make quite the outfit. Arancibia’s is the most internal of the three, and so much is communicated through his eyes and facial expressions. Anger and fear radiate from him as he discovers the sinister acts he must help commit against his very own people. Stanley and Westfall both give more explosive, over-the-top performances in their own way. MacLennan and Bill both give off the stereotypes of a Scot and a Texan, the former hypocritically militaristic, and the latter a loose-cannon cowboy. Segundo is just along for the ride as the other men lead the mission while also occasionally venturing off to chase their own selfish desires and ambitions.

The Settlers is a brutal picture, not just in terms of several violent moments, but also in the way characters act towards natives throughout the run time. There is very little reprieve from this type of treatment and speech, and the characters are clear in their understanding that the natives are the problem in Chile. No matter where people from other nations are settling, they all seem to have this mindset that they are superior to the people who were already inhabiting the land they seek to take control of. The film goes on to ask important questions about this kind of genocide. How can this keep happening? What happens to the perpetrators? This film is a reminder that justice is often a slow-arriving endowment, and rarely, if ever, is given in the lifetime of the people it is owed. 

Felipe Gálvez Haberle makes a powerful statement with his first feature by masterfully depicting the decades-long sins of a young nation through this more contained story of just several players. The story, acting, and exquisite cinematography make for a compelling watch and put him on the map as a director to follow in the coming years.

The Settlers will debut in theaters in NY and LA on January 12, 2024, courtesy of Mubi. The film will expand to additional markets in the following weeks. 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdy–tzaUeo]