In the distant night, a house erupts in a blazing inferno. A shadow leaps from the second storey window and runs towards the lens, its back licked by flames. This is the introductory shot of Get Low, and, as an image, it’s as beautifully compelling as anything you’re likely to see on this side of an Inception-sized budget.

The movie spends the remainder of its time paying off this setup, but while it doesn’t always culminate in summer-movie-sized explosions, the emotional fireworks that ensue are no less impressive.

Set in Tennessee in the 1930s, Robert Duvall brings a wild-eyed charm to the character of Felix Bush, a depression-era hermit — he’s a frontier man in every sense of the word. Alone on 300 acres of land, he chops his own wood, traps his own food and builds his own furniture. As is the case with plenty of reclusive characters, he’s built a sordid mystique, with rumours swirling that he’s in association with the devil and that he’s murdered a man. But internally, we learn that he’s on the edge of an emotional frontier, too; having spent 40 years in self-imposed exile, he’s a secretive, complex and guilt-ridden character.

When he rides into town on his horse-drawn carriage, it’s with the purpose of “getting low” — he’s planning his funeral. But this is a funeral party he’s planning to attend (and not from beyond the grave): Bush hopes to hear what his mourners have to say about him.

The funeral arrangers, naturally, are perplexed about why he’d even want to hear those stories. But arrangers Frank Quinn (Murray) and Buddy (Lucas Black) agree to let Bush spin his folk tales anyhow.

As the audience soon finds out, he has justifiably built a reputation across those 40 years: He’s a crazy, hurtful and despicable man. Bush’s rep isn’t of any consequence to him — he knows plenty of it to be true — but the power of the movie comes in exploring Bush’s rationale and the reasoning behind his less-than-savoury behaviour.

Accordingly, the film literally (and figuratively) lives and dies on the strength of Duval’s performance; as an actor, he’s never been lazy, and he’s not starting now. Bush, at times, hints at being a dust-bowl Boo Radley, but this isn’t a problem for Bush: Over the years, he’s learned how to do more with less.

Duval delivers a few showy Oscar-clip monologues, but there are also moments of intimate brilliance in his performance. That he goes through a physical transformation throughout the film helps, but it’s Bush’s emotional journey — as a tough-as-nails curmudgeon trying to open up — that makes Get Low so engaging. And heartbreaking. And inspiring.

For his part, director Aaron Schneider frames all the action in a classic indie film esthetic minus the frustrating production values. The crisp cinematography, the spare lap-steel score and the regulated pace all allow for the performances to hit apogee. And it’s not just Duval who shines here, either. Murray plays it straight — to fine effect — while Black is suitably wide-eyed and tortured. Elsewhere, Sissy Spacek is as lovely as ever as Bush’s old flame.

Get Low certainly isn’t perfect. At times, it’s not even that exciting. But it’s a compelling and complex mystery — and by the time that becomes apparent to the audience, its characters build more than enough gravity to capture your attention.