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By
WAYNE KLEIN
Two men-one obsessed with
the past the other trying to escape it collide in
"Seraphim Falls", June 6, 2007
"Seraphim Falls" works very well as a western
because of the contrasting lead characters--Col.
Carver (Neeson)obsessed with revenge trapped in
the past and his own pain while Captain Gideon
(Pierce Brosnan)wants nothing more than to escape
his past. He isolates himself in the wilderness
working as a trapper in post-Civil War America
almost as if it's his penance for an act in the
past. Gideon was instrumental in a horrible
tragedy that killed Carver's family. Carver hunts
Gideon like he's nothing more than a wily animal.
Gideon plays the part proving that even though he
has isolated himself from people, he hasn't
forgotten or lost the small remains of his soul.
Gideon rediscovers the value of life--any life
even someone else who hates him while Carver
discovers that the need for revenge can eat away
our reason for living.
"Seraphim Falls" isn't a perfect film but it is
one of the finest westerns that has been released
in some time. Because director/writer David Von
Ancken focuses on the demons that drive these men,
his film is admirable and entertaining. Both
actors working with a great supporting cast do a
terrific job of creating their characters with a
minimal of dialogue particularly during the first
third of the film. While the film falls apart by
the conclusion and runs about 15 minutes too long,
it's still enjoyable ride through the high
country.
The DVD features an interesting and trivia packed
commentary track by Pierce Brosnan and
writer/director Von Ancken aided by roduction
designer Michael Hanan. We get the usual trivia
about the difficulties in shooting the film but
also bits of history as well that make it
informative and fun.
The featurette provides a solid look
behind-the-scenes. I was surprised that a film
this low key (it barefuly got a theatrical release
probably because of Mel Gibson's involvement and
his drunken rant. Icon Productions co-produced the
film and I don't doubt that it made Sony gun shy
about promoting this film in a higher profile
fashion). The DVD transfer looks nearly perfect.
"Seraphim Falls" recalls some of the character
driven westerns that we saw during the 60's and
70's. Writer/director Von Ancken (who wrote it
with Abby Everett Jaques)sketches in these
characters worn lives and the deeds that made them
weary of living very well. Both Brosnan and Neeson
do terrific jobs in their roles making the most of
their minimal dialogue creating much of their
characters out of their physical actions and
reactions as what they say. Like "The Proposition"
(another fine Aussie western), "Seraphim Falls"
shows us the price of war and following orders on
the individual from both sides of the fence. |
