Westerns seem to be a genre that never goes out of style, and director and producer Taylor Sheridan has almost singlehandedly kept them part of the cultural conversation in recent years. Yellowstone and its spin-offs, and Yellowstone Star Kevin Costner is about to release the first two films in a planned four-part Western series. horizon.
New Movies The dead don’t get hurt The film makes clever use of Western conventions while also introducing some new elements: The story centers on Sheriff Holger Olsen (Viggo Mortensen) and his wife, Vivienne Le Coudi, but Mortensen, who wrote and directed it, takes an unusual approach by starting with a preview of a major event that occurs toward the end of the film, and then jumping around between different points in the two protagonists’ lives.
In the film, we learn not only about their first meeting in San Francisco, but also about Vivian’s childhood, Holger’s unexpected journey with his son Vincent (Atlas Green), and his encounter with saloon owner and town thug Weston Jeffries (Solly MacLeod). Holger’s enlistment to help the Union in the Civil War is a key part of the story, but he never actually fights (or performs his duties as a marshal).
In fact, Mortensen changes the story so much that it’s a little hard to pinpoint when any given scene is taking place — the change in Holger’s beard being one notable feature. Manipulating time is of course not a new concept, but the way Mortensen does it is a little frustrating in execution. Holger and Vivian’s relationship is central to everything else in the film, and when it’s split up into nonlinear fragments, it loses much of its impact.
But taken individually, the different timelines certainly have their moments of greatness. Vivian is consistently portrayed as a strong-willed character, willing to stand up to the men who bully and abuse her, from her childhood through to her adulthood. The corruption of old western towns is a staple of Westerns, and Mortensen spends a lot of time showing just how deep-rooted the corruption of this particular place is.
Ironically, Holger is one of the least known characters in the film. Even though he’s at the forefront for most of the film, we learn very little about him or what he believes. His immigrant past is alluded to a few times, but the idea isn’t explored further. The strong, silent type is a Western cliche, but a little more exploration of him would have benefited the overall story.
Still, Mortensen is a compelling actor who commands audience attention whenever he’s on screen, making Holger an intriguing character despite our lack of knowledge about him. Phantom Threadis his equal, giving Vivian a quiet dignity and strength. MacLeod gives a big performance as the main villain, and a strong supporting cast including Garret Dillahunt, Danny Huston and W. Earl Brown keep the acting level high.
The dead don’t get hurt The film isn’t your typical Western, with a fragmented story and little action, but the acting and overall story are enough to make it worthy of a recommendation, even if Mortensen’s choices keep it from earning top-tier status.
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The dead don’t get hurt It’s currently showing in theaters.
