Russell Crowe

Ethan Hawke Leads Convicts on Gold Trek in Depression Thriller The Weight

The Weight is a grim 1930s-set crime-action drama led by Ethan Hawke and Russell Crowe, following Hawke’s character and a small group of prisoners who must transport gold across dangerous terrain amid corrupt officials during the Great Depression. Production notes highlight the film’s demanding physical shoots, the Pacific Northwest-influenced setting (with Germany standing in for Oregon) and a teddy-bear motif that the director says anchors the characters’ desperation, including real details like what was inside the gold packs and a change from heavy weights to toilet paper in the prop gold.