Description of the film and credits
With his second directorial work after “Falling” in 2020, Hollywood acting star Viggo Mortensen has created a visually impressive film. His extremely unusual western tells a tragic love story and deals with the conflict between revenge and forgiveness.
Shortly before the start of the American Civil War, the emancipated French-Canadian Vivienne Le Coudy and the Danish immigrant Holger Olger fall in love. They want to build a life together in a small town in Nevada. But when the war breaks out, Holger decides to volunteer. From then on, Vivienne is on her own in the corrupt town. In addition to the mayor’s power games, she has to defend herself against the pushy advances of a rancher. When Holger returns from the front, he and Vivienne are no longer the same. They have to get to know each other again in order to find each other again.
Viggo Mortensen, who is responsible not only for the direction and screenplay, but also for the film music, relies on grandiose Western images, scenes of great emotional density, a few wonderfully laconic one-liners and the acting skills of Vicky Krieps. She manages to create some great cinematic moments here.
With his film, Viggo Mortensen asks some correct and important questions about issues such as responsibility, guilt and revenge, to which there are no easy answers.
A remarkable western that conforms to conventions while still maintaining its own style. (programmkino.de)
Original title: The Dead Don’t Hurt USA/Mexico 2023, 129 min. Director: Viggo Mortensen (Falling) Screenplay: Viggo Mortensen Cinematography: Marcel Zyskind Music: Viggo Mortensen With: Vicky Krieps, Viggo Mortensen, Solly McLeod, Garret Dillahunt, W. Earl Brown, Danny Huston and others FSK: From 12 years
