Review of Blue Ruin (2014) by Justin R — 22 Mar 2017

Revenge is a slow and painfully brutal process, as told by countless films. What makes Blue Ruin stand out from the crowd is the grotesque violence and realism in its action. It shows the dirt and grime of it, a more true nature that does not come off comically like everyone's go to thought of a Quentin Tarantino movie. No, Blue Ruin's violence serves a greater purpose than bloody fun, because this blood is not fun.

Set in a melancholy tone with lots of uses of the color blue, hence the use of the title Blue Ruin, being about complete and utter devastation. Like director Jeremy Saulnier's following film, Green Room, color plays as much of a role in the film as does anything else. In the beginning, we see Dwight (Macon Blair) in one of the lowest points of his life, slumming it with the poor. In these sequences, blue is used within the entire environment around him, showing the world of hurt he's in without telling us what has happened yet. As the film progresses, less blue is used, as sort of a growth of some sorts, but it does not leave entirely.

As for the production of Blue Ruin, it came as a shock to discover it was funded through the popular website Kickstarter, with 438 backers pledging $37,828 (added to the total $42,000 budget). Compared to the high-octane violent movies of 2013, which includes the likes of A Good Day To Die Hard, White House Down, and Kick-Ass 2, all of which costed several million to make, it is baffling how much better Blue Ruin handles its action. Yes, it's not an end of the world scenario, but the simple fact that Blue Ruin used actual blue packet squibs heightens the overall effect in my book.

I don't feel a need to get into the details of the story, as I'd rather not spoil the details. It's a fairly standard revenge story with a few tricks and turns, but none maniacal enough to place it on a level of Oldboy (2003). The journey Dwight goes through is vicious and practically life altering, which in itself is both difficult and enjoyable to watch. The pacing aligns more along the lines of No Country For Old Men (2007), being slow and quiet when it needs to, and fast and brutal when it gains momentum. Although No Country For Old Men handles this pacing more elegantly, Blue Ruin still holds up without ever becoming tedious. It falters at times, but not enough to make the overall picture suffer.

Blue Ruin is a very well made movie. It uses its visual storytelling well enough and its story as best as it can. Though its not as good of a movie as Green Room, especially in its story and execution, it provides excellent a gut-wrenching, somber movie experience that will please the genre fans. New watchers of this genre be warned, it's not easy to describe just how real things get.

Grade: B+.