Shadows on the Wall | The Dead Don't Hurt

The Dead Don’t Hurt

Review by Rich Cline | MUST SEE

dir-scr Viggo Mortensen
prd Viggo Mortensen, Regina Solorzano, Jeremy Thomas
with Vicky Krieps, Viggo Mortensen, Danny Huston, Garret Dillahunt, Solly McLeod, W Earl Brown, Atlas Green, Eliana Michaud, Shane Graham, Rafel Plana, Ray McKinnon, Colin Morgan
release US 31.May.24,
UK 7.Jun.24
23/Mexico 2h09

TORONTO FILM FEST

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Gorgeously shot in spectacular locations, this Western drama recounts a moving story about two immigrants who find love in a harsh place. Splitting the narrative into two strands, actor-filmmaker Viggo Mortensen builds to powerful moments involving romance, politics, mortality, criminality and revenge, all without giving in to the usual cinematic cliches. So the film feels fresh and original, peppered with scenes that are funny, warm, sexy and scary.

Having grown up in the wilderness with French parents, Vivienne (Krieps) refuses to be a society woman, ditching her arrogant suitor (Morgan) for the scruffy Danish wanderer Olsen (Mortensen). They settle on the outskirts of a small town run by Mayor Rudy (Huston), who is in league with business shark Alfred (Dillahunt). But Alfred's entitled son Weston (McLeod) is causing trouble, especially for immigrants or natives. And his violence creates problems for Olsen and Vivienne. So after Vivienne dies, Olsen packs up their young son Vincent (Green) and heads for a reckoning with Weston.

Opening with Vivienne's death, the film cuts back to create parallel narratives, tracing the couple's life together alongside Olsen's determined trek. Flicking between them is sometimes jarring, but each strand builds skilfully to its own emotional catharsis. Mortensen creates a vivid, punchy tone that catches offhanded humour and flirtation alongside the threats and power plays. So it's fascinating to observe these people circle around each other, quickly revealing which ones are snakes who need to be watched carefully.

Performances are wonderfully sparky, as the actors add edge to each exchange, adding a rich depth to the entire film. Krieps gives Vivienne fierce intelligence and a bold unwillingness to go along with pointless social rules. She reacts with contained dignity to even the most horrific aggression, becoming a proper hero we can root for, even though we know her fate from the film's first shot. Opposite her Mortensen gives Olsen a wonderfully wry sense of understanding and a truthful way of dealing with people. Everyone in the supporting cast is excellent, with McLeod in the breakout role.

With its original rhythms and settings, this film is a wonderful new take on the genre, telling a profoundly personal story with both tender honesty and bristly intensity. The characters and locations are so vivid that we are pulled right into the story, experiencing the situation as it unfolds in unpredictable and provocative ways. And the meaning in the title emerges through a series of textured comments and plot points, leaving us with something to think about.

themes, language, violence 4.Apr.24

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