History YMMV / TheProposition

* OneSceneWonder: Jellon Lamb actually appears in ''two'' scenes, but he was catalogued back when that trope was called "Cardinal Wolsey". There were reportedly several big name actors who wanted this role over any of the others with much more screentime because it was just that well-written.

** [[SmugSnake Eden Fletcher]] is the town's leading citizen, and a KnightTemplar ''par excellence''. Enraged by Captain Stanley's decision to turn accused rapist and murderer Charlie Burns loose, Fletcher convinces the townsfolk that Charlie's younger brother Mikey, who is both 14 and severely handicapped, should be punished in place of Charlie, and their older brother Arthur, who actually committed the crime. Fletcher manipulates a mob of townsfolk, including Stanley's wife, Martha, into demanding that Mikey get [[DisproportionateRetribution one hundred lashes]]. By forty lashes, Mikey is dying from blood loss, the rest of the townsfolk are turning away in horror, Martha has fainted, and Fletcher is still demanding that the other sixty lashes be meted out. When Stanley refuses, Fletcher has him fired, knowing that his actions will bring [[TheDreaded Arthur Burns]] down on the town. Couple this with his order to Stanley to kill every Aborigine in the region, and we are dealing with a thoroughly detestable man.

* CompleteMonster: [[SmugSnake Eden Fletcher]] is the town's leading citizen, and a KnightTemplar ''par excellence''. Enraged by Captain Stanley's decision to turn accused rapist and murderer Charlie Burns loose, Fletcher convinces the townsfolk that Charlie's younger brother Mikey, who is both 14 and severely handicapped, should be punished in place of Charlie, and their older brother Arthur, who actually committed the crime. Fletcher manipulates a mob of townsfolk, including Stanley's wife, Martha, into demanding that Mikey get [[DisproportionateRetribution one hundred lashes]]. By forty lashes, Mikey is dying from blood loss, the rest of the townsfolk are turning away in horror, Martha has fainted, and Fletcher is still demanding that the other sixty lashes be meted out. When Stanley refuses, Fletcher has him fired, knowing that his actions will bring [[TheDreaded Arthur Burns]] down on the town. Couple this with his order to Stanley to kill every Aborigine in the region, and we are dealing with a thoroughly detestable man.

* CompleteMonster: [[SmugSnake Eden Fletcher]] is the town's leading citizen, and a KnightTemplar ''par excellence''. Enraged by Captain Stanley's decision to turn accused rapist and murderer Charlie Burns loose, Fletcher convinces the townsfolk that Charlie's younger brother Mikey, who is both 14 and severely handicapped, should be punished in place of Charlie, and their older brother Arthur, who actually did the crime. Fletcher manipulates a mob of townsfolk, including Stanley's wife, Martha, into demanding that Mikey get [[DisproportionateRetribution one hundred lashes]]. By forty lashes, Mikey is dying from blood loss, the rest of the townsfolk are turning away in horror, Martha has fainted, and Fletcher is still demanding that the other sixty lashes be meted out. When Stanley refuses, Fletcher has him fired, knowing that his actions will bring [[TheDreaded Arthur Burns]] down on the town. Couple this with his order to Stanley to kill every Aborigine in the region, and we are dealing with a thoroughly detestable man.

* CompleteMonster: [[SmugSnake Eden Fletcher]] is the town's leading citizen, and a KnightTemplar ''par excellence''. Enraged by [[TheSheriff Captain Stanley]]'s decision to turn accused rapist and murderer Charlie Burns loose, Fletcher convinces the townsfolk that Charlie's younger brother Mikey, who is both 14 and severely handicapped, should be punished in place of Charlie, and their older brother Arthur, who actually did the crime. Fletcher manipulates a mob of townsfolk, including Stanley's wife, Martha, into demanding that Mikey get [[DisproportionateRetribution one hundred lashes]]. By forty lashes, Mikey is dying from blood loss, the rest of the townsfolk are turning away in horror, Martha has fainted, and Fletcher is still demanding that the other sixty lashes be meted out. When Stanley refuses, Fletcher has him fired, knowing that his actions will bring [[TheDreaded Arthur Burns]] down on the town. Couple this with his order to Stanley to kill every Aborigine in the region, and we are dealing with a thoroughly detestable man.

* CompleteMonster: [[SmugSnake Eden Fletcher]] is the town's leading citizen, and a KnightTemplar ''par excellence''. Enraged by [[TheSheriff Captain Stanley]]'s decision to turn accused rapist and murderer Charlie Burns loose, Fletcher convinces the townsfolk that Charlie's younger brother Mikey, who is both 14 and severely handicapped, should be punished in place of Charlie, and their older brother Arthur, who actually did the crime. Fletcher manipulates a mob of townsfolk, including Stanley's wife, Martha, into demanding that Mikey get [[DisproportionateRetribution one hundred lashes]]. By forty lashes, Mikey is dying from blood loss, the rest of the townsfolk are turning away in horror, Martha has fainted, and Fletcher is still demanding that the other sixty lashes be meted out. When Stanley refuses, Fletcher has him fired, knowing that his actions will bring [[TheSociopath Arthur Burns]] down on the town. Couple this with his order to Stanley to kill every Aborigine in the region, and we are dealing with a thoroughly detestable man.

* MoralEventHorizon: Arthur Burns and Sam have many offscreen atrocities under their belts, but they lose the sympathy of narrative and audience alike when they assault Captain Stanley and rape his wife in front of him, while singing hymns. Eden Fletcher crosses it when he has Mikey whipped to death, and continues to scream for blood even as the rest of the town turns away in disgust.

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: The eerie, moody, dissonant soundtrack.

* CompleteMonster: Arthur Burns is the leader of the Burns Brothers gang and an unbelievably sadistic bastard. He rapes a pregnant woman to death and murders children with no remorse whatsoever, in fact he seems to see this as no different from smashing a Wasp.His "[[FauxAffablyEvil kindness]]" to his brothers doesn't excuse him either - he routinely endangered and corrupted them by bringing them into his criminal lifestyle.
* [[TheDragon Sam Stoat]] is no better. he gleefully participates in all Arthur's worst crimes including the rape of captain Stanley's pregnant wife.
* [[SmugSnake Eden Fletcher]] is the town's leading citizen, and a KnightTemplar ''par excellence''. Enraged by [[TheSheriff Captain Stanley]]'s decision to turn accused rapist and murderer Charlie Burns loose, Fletcher convinces the townsfolk that Charlie's younger brother Mikey, who is both 14 and severely handicapped, should be punished in place of Charlie, and their older brother Arthur, who actually did the crime. Fletcher manipulates a mob of townsfolk, including Stanley's wife, Martha, into demanding that Mikey get [[DisproportionateRetribution one hundred lashes]]. By forty lashes, Mikey is dying from blood loss, the rest of the townsfolk are turning away in horror, Martha has fainted, and Fletcher is still demanding that the other sixty lashes be meted out. When Stanley refuses, Fletcher has him fired, knowing that his actions will bring the even more monstrous [[TheSociopath Arthur Burns]] down on the town. Couple this with his order to Stanley to kill every Aborigine in the region, and we are dealing with a thoroughly detestable man.

* CompleteMonster: [[SmugSnake Eden Fletcher]] is the town's leading citizen, and a KnightTemplar ''par excellence''. Enraged by [[TheSheriff Captain Stanley]]'s decision to turn accused rapist and murderer Charlie Burns loose, Fletcher convinces the townsfolk that Charlie's younger brother Mikey, who is both 14 and severely handicapped, should be punished in place of Charlie, and their older brother Arthur, who actually did the crime. Fletcher manipulates a mob of townsfolk, including Stanley's wife, Martha, into demanding that Mikey get [[DisproportionateRetribution one hundred lashes]]. By forty lashes, Mikey is dying from blood loss, the rest of the townsfolk are turning away in horror, Martha has fainted, and Fletcher is still demanding that the other sixty lashes be meted out. When Stanley refuses, Fletcher has him fired, knowing that his actions will bring [[TheSociopath Arthur Burns]] down on the town. Couple this with his order to Stanley to kill every Aborigine in the region, and we are dealing with a thoroughly detestable man.

* CompleteMonster: [[SmugSnake Eden Fletcher]] is the town's leading citizen, and a KnightTemplar ''par excellence''. Enraged by [[TheSheriff Captain Stanley]]'s decision to turn accused rapist and murderer Charlie Burns loose, Fletcher convinces the townsfolk that Charlie's younger brother Mikey, who is both 14 and severely handicapped, should be punished in place of Charlie, and their older brother Arthur, who actually did the crime. Fletcher manipulates a mob of townsfolk, including Stanley's wife, Martha, into demanding that Mikey get [[DisproportionateRetribution one hundred lashes]]. By forty lashes, Mikey is dying from blood loss, the rest of the townsfolk are turning away in horror, Martha has fainted, and Fletcher is still demanding that the other sixty lashes be meted out. When Stanley refuses, Fletcher has him fired, knowing that his actions will bring [[TheSociopath Arthur Burns]] down on the town. Couple this with his order to Stanley to kill every Aborigine in the region, and we are dealing with a thoroughly detestable man. Of course, the aforementioned [[BigBad Arthur Burns]] qualifies as well, being the most vicious and arguably evil character in the movie.

* CompleteMonster: [[SmugSnake Eden Fletcher]] is the town's leading citizen, and a KnightTemplar ''par excellence''. Enraged by [[TheSheriff Captain Stanley]]'s decision to turn accused rapist and murderer Charlie Burns loose, Fletcher convinces the townsfolk that Charlie's younger brother Mikey, who is both 14 and severely handicapped, should be punished in place of Charlie, and their older brother Arthur, who actually did the crime. Fletcher manipulates a mob of townsfolk, including Stanley's wife, Martha, into demanding that Mikey get [[DisproportionateRetribution one hundred lashes]]. By forty lashes, Mikey is dying from blood loss, the rest of the townsfolk are turning away in horror, Martha has fainted, and Fletcher is still demanding that the other sixty lashes be meted out. When Stanley refuses, Fletcher has him fired, knowing that his actions will bring [[TheSociopath Arthur Burns]] down on the town. Couple this with his order to Stanley to kill every Aborigine in the region, and we are dealing with a thoroughly detestable man.

* OneSceneWonder: Jellon Lamb actually appears in ''two'' scenes, but he was catalogued back when that trope was called "Cardinal Wolsey".

* CompleteMonster: [[SmugSnake Eden Fletcher]]is the town's leading citizen, and a KnightTemplar ''par excellence''. Enraged by [[TheSheriff Captain Stanley]]'s decision to turn accused rapist and murderer Charlie Burns loose, Fletcher convinces the townsfolk that Charlie's younger brother Mikey, who is both 14 and severely handicapped, should be punished in place of Charlie, and their older brother Arthur, who actually did the crime. Fletcher manipulates a mob of townsfolk, including Stanley's wife, Martha, into demanding that Mikey get [[DisproportionateRetribution one hundred lashes]]. By forty lashes, Mikey is dying from blood loss, the rest of the townsfolk are turning away in horror, Martha has fainted, and Fletcher is still demanding that the other sixty lashes be meted out. When Stanley refuses, Fletcher has him fired, knowing that his actions will bring [[TheSociopath Arthur Burns]] down on the town. Couple this with his order to Stanley to kill every Aborigine in the region, and we are dealing with a thoroughly detestable man.

* CompleteMonster: Eden Fletcher, who orders the destruction of aboriginal villages, has a mentally handicapped teenager whipped to death, and never displays a single emotion beyond smug self-satisfaction.

* CompleteMonster: Eden Fletcher. The rich man of the town, he is a sadistic KnightTemplar who orders a retarded fourteen-year old to be flogged to death. He casually orders the massacre of entire Aborigine villages without a second thought. Try to picture GeneHackman's character in ''Film/{{Unforgiven}}'', and then take away everything that makes him sympathetic, and give him a really annoying high-pitched Oxford English accent. His actor, David Wenham, comments that in his own way, Fletcher is just as cruel as Arthur under a veneer of high class.

* MoralEventHorizon: Used and subverted. Arthur crossed it when he led the Hopkins Massacre, where the whole family was tortured and raped first. But his youngest brother Mikey is mentally ill and barely aware of the terrible crime.
** Although it's likely that Sam, another gang member who looks a bit like Mikey, did the raping and killing. He crosses the MoralEventHorizon once more when he rapes Martha in front of her husband, who is forced to watch.

* CompleteMonster: Eden Fletcher. The rich man of the town, he is a sadistic KnightTemplar who orders a retarded fourteen-year old to be flogged to death. He casually orders the massacre of entire aborigine villages. Picture GeneHackman's character in ''Film/{{Unforgiven}}'', and then take away everything that makes him sympathetic, and give him a really annoying Oxford English accent. His actor, David Wenham, comments that in his own way, Fletcher is just as cruel as Arthur under a veneer of high class.
* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: The eerie, dissonant soundtrack
* MoralEventHorizon: Used and subverted. Arthur crossed it when he led the Hopkins Massacre, where the whole family was tortured first. But his youngest brother Mikey is mentally ill and barely aware of the terrible crime.

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: The entire eerie, dissonant soundtrack

* AlasPoorVillain

* CompleteMonster: Eden Fletcher. The rich man of the town, he is a sadistic KnightTemplar who orders a retarded fourteen-year old to be flogged to death. He casually orders the massacre of entire aborigine villages. Picture GeneHackman's character in ''{{Unforgiven}}'', and then take away everything that makes him sympathetic, and give him a really annoying Oxford English accent. His actor, David Wenham, comments that in his own way, Fletcher is just as cruel as Arthur under a veneer of high class.

* HighOctaneNightmareFuel: Opening credits: a sweet children's choir singing while we see black-and-white images of the Hopkins Massacre's aftermath. One of these is the baby's cradle drenched in blood.

** And if we take the operative phrase in the previous sentence to be "''just as'' cruel", Arthur qualifies. Without a shred of doubt, he crossed the MoralEventHorizon with the Hopkins massacre. His [[FauxAffablyEvil "kindness"]] to his brothers doesn't excuse him either - he routinely endangered and corrupted them by bringing them into his criminal lifestyle.

* TearJerker: [[spoiler:Mikry's death[[

* TearJerker

* MoralEventHorizon: Used and subverted. Arthur crossed it when he led the Hopkins Massacre, where the whole family was
tortured first. But his youngest brother Mikey is mentally ill and barely aware of the terrible crime.