Jeff Bridges' racial ribbing in 'Hell or High Water' is the year's most subtle scene

LOS ANGELES -- It's a scene so delicately laced with meaning and emotion that writing too much about it would be like over-handling a butterfly's wings -- but the good news is, you can just skip all this, watch (below) and draw your own conclusions.

The film is Hell or High Water, the Aug. 12 action/drama from director David Mackenzie, the story of two brothers on a desperate robbery spree (Chris Pine and Ben Foster) and the veteran lawmen on their tail (Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham).

Marcus (Bridges) and Alberto (Birmingham) are Texas Rangers, longtime partners and, on some deeper level, friends. But that friendship can be uneasy, in no small part because Marcus, the more senior of the two, insists on ribbing Alberto (who is half-Comanche, half-Mexican) for his heritage.

Not just once, but regularly.

By themselves, Marcus' words are unequivocally racist, but his intent is far more complex than that; he obviously has true affection for Alberto, who chooses to endure the hazing ... to a point. Alberto doesn't think it's funny, and you can plainly see that it hurts.

But Alberto also realizes that Marcus is a West Texas lawman of a certain age and with nothing resembling hate in his heart, so he chooses to forgive these transgressions. Not excuse them, but forgive them, for the sake of getting along, day in and day out.

And again -- to a point. He's not afraid to fire back, and does.

This is already more words than lines of dialogue Hell or High Water devotes to this dynamic, which speaks to Birmingham's masterfully subtle physical performance here and throughout Hell or High Water, of which this is just a sampling:

Taken as a whole, it's as thought-provoking a study on race and cultural relations that we've seen at the movies all year, played out not in rousing speeches or prolonged on-screen abuse, but in Alberto's achingly exhausted reactions to his own partner's "good natured" badgering.

Words do matter, regardless of their intent -- and with the right actor, all of that can be conveyed in a turn to the side, the setting down a floss-pick and a slight roll the eyes.

And here's the thing: this is not even the central theme of Hell or High Water, which really is just a heart-pounding, cat-and-mouse-game of a good time. For that reason, Mackenzie's film is quietly gathering momentum headed into the awards race; like Spotlight, it's not showy or preachy or over-acted, nor is it reaching beyond its thematic scope. It just gets there.

Certainly no one is predicting a surprise Hell or High Water Best Picture win, but put me on the record for a nomination. I'm equally hopeful that Birmingham edges into the supporting actor conversation, too. It's a long-shot, but the more I think about it, the more I feel like he deserves it.

Of course, you'll need the context of the entire film to really get this scene, and here's the good news: Hell or High Water is available on Digital HD starting Tuesday, with the Blu-ray and DVD coming Nov. 22.