Review of The Salvation (2014) by Thomas L — 15 Mar 2015

The business of making and distributing movies seems like it's becoming more international by the day. British films like "The Grand Budapest Hotel" and "The Imitation Game" were very successful last year, both in terms of ticket sales and end-of-year awards. Movies like "Kingsman: The Secret Service", "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" and "Paddington" have gotten the Brits off to a great start in 2015. At the same time, a Mexican film called "A la mala", a Mexican-German production called "Buen Dia, Ramon" (and "Guten Tag Ramon"), an American-Belgian remake of "The Loft" (originally, a Belgian-Dutch production) and a vampire mockumentary from New Zealand, called "What We Do in the Shadows" have been among the most creative and enjoyable films so far this year, with the South African film "Chappie" making quite a splash as well. Enter "The Salvation" (R, 1:32). It's mostly in English and takes place in the post-Civil War American West, but its male and female leads are Danish and French, respectively, and this is a film from Denmark that was filmed in South Africa. That's quite a mixture of influences - and this is quite a film!

Mads Mikkelsen (most famous as the Bond villain in "Casino Royale" and, more recently, as NBC's "Hannibal") stars as Jon, a Danish immigrant who came to the American West to make a better life for himself and his small family. After seven years of hard work, Jon was finally able to send for his 10-year-old son, Kresten, and his wife, Marie (played by Danish singer-songwriter, Nanna Øland Fabricius, or Oh Land). Two local men who share the stagecoach ride from the train station make suggestive comments towards Marie, one grabs her and the other holds a knife to Kresten's throat. The men throw Jon off the stagecoach and he's unable to catch them. The next morning, Jon finds the stagecoach sitting beside some trees, the bodies of the two drivers lying on the ground. The two murderers have also killed Kresten and dumped his body nearby. As Jon approaches the stagecoach, the men have just finished raping and murdering Jon's wife. This being the Wild West, and Jon, being a strong man and a loving husband and father, kills the men. And none of this even qualifies as a spoiler because all I've done is set up the film's main conflict.

One of the men Jon killed was the brother of Delarue (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), the brutal leader of a local gang. Delarue demands that the townsfolk produce his brother's killer. But there were no witnesses. No matter. Delarue threatens to kill some of the people in the town and double the protection money the town pays him until he gets what he wants. Meanwhile, he'll bide his time continuing with his master plan to control the town and the land surrounding it, while sleeping with his brother's widow, the mute but tough Madelaine (Eva Green, also from "Casino Royale" and also currently starring in a TV series - Showtime's "Penny Dreadful"). All this sets up a climactic showdown between Delarue and Jon, who is receiving almost no support from the town's residents. This is the kind of town where the mayor (Jonathan Pryce) doubles as the undertaker and their priest (Douglas Henshall) also serves as the sheriff. The residents of this small town are too scared, too callous or too self-interested to help anyone but themselves, and some will stab you in the back if you give them half a chance.

"The Salvation" is a very engaging western. The cinematography and editing highlight both the beauty and danger of the film's setting and add to its tension. This is a very dark story without a lot of winners, but it feels very personal and it works as a great drama. The main reason it's so effective is the terrific performances. Along with a strong supporting cast, Mikkelsen, Green and Morgan are all burning intensity who, while varying degrees from perfect, are just trying to survive doing what they think is right. While the plot may not be ground-breaking, this foreign take on the American West feels fresh and real, while providing its audience with a powerful cinematic experience. "A-".