As election season kicks into high gear, we’re hearing a lot of talk about the pioneering American spirit. Americans, always inventive, have never been afraid of hard work, both parties remind us. A character in “Lawless” puts it another way: “Turns out you can make moonshine out of anything.”

“Lawless,” based on the true story of bootlegging brothers during Prohibition, is an insanely violent film. But it’s also a very well-executed, classic story of American innovation and resolve.