Review of Out of the Furnace (2013) by Foxgrove — 06 Feb 2014

From the edgy opening scene of Out of the Furnace you are hooked. Director Scott Hooper hones in on his fine cast, which is in fact one of the best ensembles in recent memory, and hypnotically draws us in to their hum drum and rather melancholic lives.

Pennsylvania looks every bit as bleak as I remember it from 'The Deer Hunter' and this is perfectly captured in the stark cinematography. The camera's eye treats the steel mill and surrounding areas as if they are another character and you really do get a sense of the place and the unfulfilled lives of the people living there.

At times the film's tone is extremely tense, a lot of which is due to the menacing performance of Woody Harrelson who looks as if he has just stepped out of 'The Hills Have Eyes'. Christian Bale, in a rare understated but none the less brilliant turn, is even better here than he is n his Oscar nominated role in 'American Hustle'.

Casey Affleck and Willem Defoe also impress and one has to applaud Sam Shepard, who seems to have an uncanny knack for being only minimally involved in really good films. The music is surprisingly beautiful given the content, which is at times extremely violent, and the film holds you in a vice like grip from beginning to end.

Ironically, it is only the overt symbolism attached to the deer hunt and bare knuckle fight scenes that can be slightly criticised but, in truth, to do so would be pernickety as this is a truly outstanding film.