Forget deconstruction, Danish filmmaker Kristian Levring's The Salvation is such a loving embrace to the Western genre you keep waiting for John Wayne to sidle up, tip his hat, and say "Howdy ma'am". But who needs Wayne when the dark and brooding glare of Mads Mikkelsen does more than suffice as an archetypal frontier hero seeking revenge and leaving a trailer of bloody, dusty bodies in his wake. The Salvation isn't going to kick up much dust for those looking for a fresh take on the genre, but those who love an old school Western yarn will find it hits the target.
One would think a Western in the hands of a Danish director like Levring would lead to some interesting quirks in style but The Salvation has hard whiskey running through its veins rather than aquavit. There's a hint of foreign flavor at the outset when we're introduced to Jon (Mikkelsen), a rugged, Danish immigrant who is being reunited with his wife and son after a seven year absence. It's 1871 and Jon has been getting a foothold in America alongside his equally-sturdy brother (Mikael Persbrandt), but what kind of revenge movie would this be if the happy reunion went smoothly? Jon and his family get on the worst stagecoach ride ever alongside a pair of drunken outlaws, who proceed to murder his wife and son. When Jon catches up with them he fills the bad guys with lead, only to learn soon after that one of them was the brother of villainous gunslinger Delarue (Jeffrey Dean Morgan, might as well twirl his mustache) who wants payback. Of course he does. Delarue has an iron grip on the townsfolk, including the weaselly mayor (Jonathan Pryce) and sheriff, who stand idly by when the outlaw guns down three innocents as retribution. He'll continue to hold the town hostage until his brother's killer is found.
For a film titled and ostensibly about salvation, very little of it is offered as Delarue and Jon cut a bloody path towards their inevitable showdown. If there's a Nordic quality Levring brings it's the film's overall bleakness, which is aided by cinematographer Jens Schlosser's murky visuals. There's also the dark presence of Eva Green as Delaru's widowed sister-in-law. Her story is particularly brutal as she sports a noticeable scar from having her tongue cut out by an Indian tribe as a girl. It's amazing how Green still manages to take over every scene without uttering a single word, but her presence looms over this film and threatens to steal it away from Mikkelsen. The two fit into this harsh climate better than Morgan, whose over-the-top bad guy would be a better fit for a less conventional take on the genre.
Levring pays homage to John Ford (The Searchers is clearly a favorite) at every turn but it's hard not to wonder what he could have done if not hung-up on honoring the past. The Salvation doesn't have anything new to say, perfect for the brisk 92 minute runtime, but it will speak most clearly to fans looking for a familiar trek to the Old West.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
