Alec Baldwin’s Rust gets a low-key release, years after the on-set shooting that killed its cinematographer

‘Rust’ a serviceable Western, haunted by offscreen history

Surely, bringing an audience to tears with a poignant ending is something every filmmaker dreams of. And yet the moment that inspires a genuine, unambiguous tear in “Rust” is born of a true nightmare. “…for Halyna,” the screen reads as the film comes to a close. Halyna Hutchins’ name also appears in Ukrainian. And we’re given a favored quote from the late cinematographer: “What can we do to make this better?” Just as there’s no way to make this …

How the Rust disaster unfolded

In October 2021, the director Joel Souza was in rehearsals for his western Rust when a gun being held by its star, Alec Baldwin, accidentally went off. It should have been loaded with blanks, but a live round had found its way into the chamber. The film's cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, was killed, and Souza was hit in the shoulder.He had hired Hutchins, he told Ryan Gilbey in The Guardian, having specifically sought out a woman for the film. …

Alec Baldwin’s Rust gets a low-key release, years after the on-set shooting that killed its cinematographer

The western’s makers said they hoped the finished film would honour the work and memory of Halyna Hutchins

AT THE MOVIES : Alec Baldwin's western finally releases after on-set tragedy

'Rust,' starring Alec Baldwin and newcomer Patrick Scott McDermott, is finally available to audiences after one of Hollywood's most publicized tragedies

AT THE MOVIES Alec Baldwin's western finally releases after on-set tragedy

'Rust,' starring Alec Baldwin and newcomer Patrick Scott McDermott, is finally available to audiences after one of Hollywood's most publicized tragedies. Here's our full review of this complex cinematic journey