Silhouetted figures stalk across the stark expanse. Gruff voices exchange unpleasantries. Pistols are raised in anger. So far, a typical Hollywood trailer for an upcoming western film. Rust however has been an extraordinary production.
The first official trailer has now been released for the film in which cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed.
Lead actor Alec Baldwin was rehearsing with a revolver when the gun went off fatally shooting Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza in October 2021. Baldwin's case case has since been dismissed while armorer Gutierrez-Reed was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for bringing live ammunition onto set and is serving an 18-month sentence.
Rust completed filming in 2023 and post-production last year. The film then premiered in November at the Camerimage festival in Torun, Poland.
Rust trailer released
Its premiere was well-attended, with people fascinated more by the film’s backstory than actual plot. Camerimage was a fitting venue as it’s a film festival focused on cinematographers, and the film is dedicated to Hutchins.
Now, it is set for general release, hitting US screens on 2 May. It’s been a long run to get to this stage for Rust. By all accounts, the producers most probably never expected for the film to see the light of day after Hutchins’ death. The $8 million (€7.4 million) film was a passion project for Baldwin and Souza, who together developed the story of an ageing outlaw (Baldwin) coming out of hiding in 1880s Kansas to save his 13-year-old grandson from a death sentence due to an accidental murder.
Prior to the accident, at worst, the film would have likely been a little-watched entry at some lesser-known film festivals before disappearing without a proper distributor. Best case scenario, it could've proved briefly popular with a week-long push on a streaming platform. With US distribution now secured, are studios expecting a surprise hit through capitalising on morbidly interested viewers?
Baldwin and Souza’s choice to release the film could also be read positively. Even if it’s not a classic of cinema, it still represents the last work of Hutchins, a cinematographer who dedicated her career to the art form. Her cinematic legacy is in some of the shots of Rust and letting people see her talent is a fair goal.
Earlier this month, Hulu released Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna, a documentary on Hutchins’ death. It was directed by her close friend Rachel Mason. Although Baldwin declined to participate, it features Hutchins’ footage and Mason also filmed the resumed Rust production and interviewed Souza.
Although Souza eventually criticised the film for featuring the criminal investigation more than Hutchins’ life, many found it a fitting tribute to the dramatic incident that brought Rust to public attention.
As Hutchins’ final work hits screens, it finally gets the chance to interact with audiences. Although, it may be a hard ask for viewers to separate it from its tragic production.
