To Kill a King: The True Testament of the Gentleman Jasper Price
The most obvious inspiration for Tye Wilson’s “To Kill a King: The True Testament of the Gentleman Jasper Price” feels like Andrew Dominik’s “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.” Jasper Price is not a real person, however, but that doesn’t prevent Wilson from developing him into an interesting Old West archetype whom takes of mythic proportions in this 52-minute western. That’s a short running time, but it’s plenty for the writer-director to tell a full narrative about a killer with a code, a gentleman with a gun, who feels like his life is catching up with him. Jasper might be the most noble of gunslingers the Old West has ever produced.
Immediately, narration puts us in the middle of Jasper’s life, and gives us a glimpse into the man’s worldview. When he is shot, Jasper (Allen Thatcher) takes up at a widow’s house; the time between Jasper and Tess (Loni Tucker) is the heart of the film, as Jasper is faced with someone he’s never really encountered before- the person left behind after someone is killed. He wasn’t the reason Tess was widowed, but it makes him start to think hard about what he does.
Technically speaking, “To Kill a King” feels like an ultra low-budget indie film, with cinematography that feels more like a home video than a movie. What’s important, however, is whether Wilson immerses us in his world, and I think he does. He may not have the fanciest cinematic skills, but he understands what matters in storytelling in general, and telling this story in particular. (Also, having Warren Ellis, the co-composer of the score for “The Assassination of Jesse James,” appear as a sheriff in the film, doesn’t hurt.) The characters of Jasper and Tess are well-written and the dynamic Wilson creates between them is what makes the film watchable every step of the way.
Moments of genuine emotion in the story of Jasper Price are sprinkled throughout, especially dream sequences where he not only comes face-to-face with death, but also lost love. Normally, a movie like this would present Jasper and Tess as the potential romantic pairing, but this isn’t that type of story. For Jasper, future love is out of the question; there is only one future he has, and the film sets it up, and delivers on it successfully. It’s worth checking out, if you like that type of story.
