Nick Cave

The myths and music of backwoods America and the Wild West have had a profound influence on Nick Cave. For his screenwriting debut, Cave shows that his native Australia's often dark history matches the U.S's -- there's massive immigration, racial inequality, tales of sin and redemption. The film's score, which the bleak bard composed with old Bad Seeds cohort Warren Ellis, is elegant, brooding and even threatening folk-rock at its finest.