10 Years Ago, Natalie Portman Starred in a Western Everyone Forgot!

Think you know everything about Natalie Portman’s career, from Luc Besson’s “Léon” to the “Star Wars” saga, “V for Vendetta,” and “Black Swan”? But did you know that the American actress starred in a western? That was exactly ten years ago with the overlooked film “Jane Got A Gun.”

Released in French theaters in January 2016, “Jane Got A Gun” follows the story of Jane Hammond (Natalie Portman, who recently discussed her worst injury on set), a strong-willed woman married to Bill, one of the worst outlaws in town. When he turns against his own gang and returns home dying with eight bullets in his back, Jane knows it’s time for her to swap her dress for pants and pick up her own gun. Jane’s best hope is her former lover, Dan Frost…

A dark, realistic feminist western noted for its stunning visuals, “Jane Got A Gun” experienced a particularly tumultuous production. Assembling the male cast was challenging, but more notably, director Lynne Ramsay failed to show up on the first day of filming. She was urgently replaced by Gavin O’Connor (“Warrior”), who directed stars like Natalie Portman, Joel Edgerton, and Ewan McGregor, all of whom had previously worked together in “Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.”

“A Feminist Western About a Woman Discovering Her Inner Strength”

How can one describe “Jane Got A Gun”? “It’s a feminist western that traces the story of a woman discovering the strength within herself, what she is capable of, and realizing that she doesn’t need to depend on men to survive,” says screenwriter Anthony Tambakis.

Drawing Inspiration from Sergio Leone’s Westerns

To enhance the depiction of a stripped-down Wild West where the character Jane must fight to survive, the film features dark, gray, and brown tones that highlight the near-absence of color. It’s worth noting that the atmosphere of “Jane Got A Gun” was inspired by “Once Upon a Time in the West” and other masterpieces by Sergio Leone to create a bleak, dark, and realistic Far West.

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“Jane Got A Gun” Trailer: