Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins’ tragic death hangs heavily over Rust, director Joel Souza’s Western, which is now finally in theaters four years later.
The film, starring Alec Baldwin and newcomer Patrick Scott McDermott, ends with a tribute to Hutchins, who died in October 2021 after a prop gun with live rounds, held by Baldwin, discharged on the New Mexico set. It comes in the form of a title card that reads: “For Halyna,” along with a quote in the form of a question that she often posed on set: “What can we do to make this better?”
“When we came back, I think that was something we all said to ourselves over and over again,” star Josh Hopkins, who plays U.S. Marshal Wood Helm, told Entertainment Weekly of the quote. “Because we had a responsibility now and had to bring the energy and passion that she did every day. She was such a vivacious, visionary artist…. She was the heart of everything.”
Rust Movie Productions LLC
Alec Baldwin and Patrick Scott McDermott in ‘Rust’
In an eerie parallel, the feature’s plot concerns an accidental death.
In 1880s Wyoming, 13-year-old Lucas Hollister (McDermott in his first movie role) is left to fend for himself and his younger brother, Jacob (Easton Malcolm), following their parents’ deaths. When Lucas accidentally shoots and kills a local rancher, he’s sentenced to hang. But in a twist of fate, his estranged grandfather, the notorious outlaw Harland Rust (Baldwin), breaks him out of jail, and the two flee to Mexico. On their tail is Hopkins’ lawman.
Souza was also injured in the on-set accident that killed Hutchins. “I remember specifically going to sleep that night and hoping I didn’t wake up the next morning,” the filmmaker previously shared. “I hoped I would just bleed out overnight because I didn’t want to be around anymore. It was a very difficult moment.”
Hutchins’ cinematography accounts for more than half of the final product of the film, which also counts her widower, Matthew Hutchins, as an executive producer — per the terms of the family’s wrongful death lawsuit against production, which was settled in late 2022.
Cinematographer Bianca Cline stepped in once production resumed in the spring of 2023 and has spoken about how she worked hard to match Hutchins’ creative vision.
“I hope people understand that this was the family’s wishes,” Hopkins told EW of the decision to release the film marred by tragedy. “They wanted the world to see Halyna’s art.”
The late cinematographer’s mother and sister both issued statements on Friday praising the movie and encouraging others to see it.
“I was so happy for the success of my daughter because it was filmed so beautifully,” Olga Solovey, Hutchins’ mother said, noting she’d watch it twice. “I would want people to see the talent, the beauty, the success, and I’m just so immensely proud of her.”
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She continued of Hutchins, “She had a very specific style of cinematography and she saw the world differently. She could see and capture how the sun sets and how animals behaved. She saw the beauty of it all…. I want many people to watch it, and I would want more people to remember her for as long as they can.”
Svetlana Zemko, Hutchins’ sister, called the film “brilliant” and said she wanted her sibling “to be remembered not for the tragedy but for her talent and hard work.”
Rust is in theaters and on demand now.
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