Review by Matthew Lucas: Since the late 19th century, herders have driven their sheep through Montana's Absaroka-Beartooth mountains to graze for the summer. It's a time honored tradition of the American West; rugged cowboys graze their flocks on public land. But slowly and surely it's a tradition that has died out, becoming every bit a part of the past as the romance of the Wild West. In 2001, producer Ilisa Barbash and recordist Lucien Castaing-Taylor trekked up into the mountains to the last ranch that still carried on this old tradition. Culled from over 200 hours of footage, the resulting film, “Sweetgrass,” is a lyrical, elegiac portrait of a forgotten way of life. Foregoing the usual documentary trappings of interviews and talking heads, the filmmakers simply set up their cameras and allow life to happen around them, following the sheep and the herders who drive them. There is no pretense to the men and women on this ranch; they have an unassuming "just folks" quality that adds to the film's earthy charm. Some of them are the very model of the strong, silent cowboy. Others are more excitable and volatile. They all love what they do, and it's easy to see why. Every single frame of “Sweetgrass” is breathtakingly beautiful, often recalling some of cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto's work on “Brokeback Mountain.” The real stars here, however, are the sheep. Very little time goes by without hearing the ever present bleating of the flock, moving in unison over the grassy Montana landscapes. The natural sound of the wilderness provides its own soundtrack, and the filmmakers wisely don't add any other musical accompaniment. The silences are as powerful as any great monologue. This isn't a Hollywood romanticized vision of the Old West, but the romance is still inherent. Even as we see these modern day cowboys cursing a blue streak into their cell phones or communicating with each other via walkie-talkies, there's still something intrinsically romantic about heading into the wild frontier on horseback, and living off the land. “Sweetgrass” is, above all, a chronicle of the last sheep drive, the end of an era, the death of a way of life, and the closing of a chapter of American history. It's unassuming beauty makes for a quietly engrossing ode the the shimmering mystique of the West, and it captures the landscape's timeless, enduring appeal, while offering a time capsule of a poignant moment in American history.

Last Word: It may not sound like much on paper, but “Sweetgrass” is an engaging and even moving glimpse into history, and into the last American sheep drive.

Review By:
Matthew Lucas

IN REVIEW ONLINE