Pooja Sharma
The prodigious changes that alter more than just one life is mapped in the remarkable journey of a convict in ‘The Mustang.’ From finding ways to navigate his violent past to making a space for himself amidst society, the movie follows the story of Roman Coleman and is inspired by true events. The film marks the directorial debut of Laure de Clermont-Tonnerr. The 2019 drama film centers on a rehabilitation program where inmates of the prison partake in an initiative to train and break wild horses. The evocative tale vividly expressing animosity, a troubled past and broken relationships is a poignant rendition that represents how everyone deserves to heal.
Starring Matthias Schoenaerts, Jason Mitchell, Gideon Adlon, Connie Britton and Bruce Dern, the movie undertakes the remarkable journey of Roman, a convicted inmate for attacking his domestic partner and leaving them with permanent brain damage and his journey into navigating his violent path. Incarcerated for 12 years, Roman’s psychologist decides to transfer him to another prison before he’s reinserted into the general population. However, things soon change when he interacts with a dangerous horse and is thereby put in the rehabilitation program where prisoners are assigned to train wild mustangs.
The journey taken by Roman portrays the poignancy of unspoken connection and healing. While the story’s wistful premise is enough to keep fans hooked, it is the wide barren landscape that adds another element of desolate longing to the film. The arid location chosen for production aids in portraying the protagonist’s inner strife splendidly. Naturally, fans wonder where did the shooting for ‘The Mustang’ took place. Luckily, we’ve got all the answers you are looking for!
The Mustang Filming Locations
Inspired by the wild horse inmate program in prisons across Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, Nevada, and Wyoming, the production team chose Nevada to shoot ‘The Mustang.’ The principal photography for the film began on October 10, 2017, and wrapped up on November 6, 2017. Here are some more details about the filming locations.
Nevada
To correctly reflect the essence of a prison, the historic Nevada State Prison located in Carson City was chosen for filming. The movie centers on Roman’s journey to accepting his past and was shot within the expanse of a penitentiary located in Carson City. The Nevada State Prison, known for its historical importance, has been in continuous operation since 1862 and even housed the first gas chamber execution center in the US.
After having been closed in 2012 due to budgetary constraints, it was decided that the prison would turn into a museum. The filming of ‘The Mustang’ was done before the prison was turned into a museum. The movie is based on director Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre’s short film ‘Rabbit’ released in 2014. Since the sequences of the movie had to portray the life that Roman lived within the confines of the prison, the real structure helped in accentuating the storyline. Several locations within the prison were used.
From the cells to the solitary, to the place where families can meet inmates, a number of scenes were shot in different sites of the correctional facility. However, the most remarkable scenes were shot outdoors. Roman is assigned maintenance work, which is how he happens to meet Marquis, a Mustang unwilling to bend to anyone’s will. While the connection and bond that’s made between Roman and Marquis portray that no one’s incapable of redemption, it is the strikingly arid backdrop that portrays the inner strife of the characters.
Roman, who finds it hard to connect with his daughter and finds little recluse anywhere else, symbolically represents the parched and sun-baked landscape of the outdoors. As such, the movie’s location helps highlight the conundrum and inner conflict that Roman is going through and sets the tone for his redemptive journey to begin.
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