The Salvation

A straight up western starring Mads Mikkelsen, Eva Green, Jeffery Dean Morgan, and even Eric Cantona. Danish production, shot in South Africa, it looked convincingly American west. It's very old school in its story, good guy vs bad guy, revenge, gun fights, the whole nine yards. And it's a pretty fine movie too.

Danish guy waits for his wife and son to arrive in America to start new lives, but bad guys are going to spoil their plan. There's no way he's going to let them bad guys go, after toiling for 7 years to start a new life only to see it destroyed as soon as his family arrives. And did I mention he fought wars in the Danish army before he moved to America? Oh yeah, this Dane know how to shoot straight too.

You really do get the feeling that this guy wants no trouble and just wants to get on with his life, but it's trouble that comes looking for him. A lot of new westerns tend to be "different" and avoid the straight up good vs bad revenge trope because it's been done to death during the genre's heyday. But I think it's a good time revisit that trope with today's new talent and technology. The story may be cliché, but everything else feels fresh. The best western I've watched in a long time.

Good fun shoot em up Danish American tale of Western justice and revenge. A proper cowboy yarn.

Well worth the watch.

By the Danish, and why not? Especially if it's done as well as this was/is. Mads Mikkelsen has proved himself worthy of leading roles even in (his not native tongue) English. But there is a bit of Danish thrown into the mix with this. But it's not the spoken language that will get your attention with this movie.

It's the framing, it's the "picture" language it speaks. This looks as down and dirty as Westerns come and it does a really good job throwing us into a situation Western fans know very well. So while the story itself is not new, we do get a very well made movie, that you should be able to enjoy a lot.

this is probably one of the best western in years. It's a dark and harrowing film, a la "the proposition" or "unforgiven". This movie is not for the squeamish: innocent people are killed without a thought, and the film does a good job portraying the lawlessness and "anything goes" ethos of the times. Mads Mikkelsen is excellent as a hardworking taciturn Danish immigrant who's spent years trying to make a living in this land of opportunity. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes when he brings his family to the country, and then the rest of the film is basically about survival and revenge. At 1.5 hours, the pacing is good, and there are no unnecessary scenes or fat bogging down the story. Action scenes are realistic and very well done, and there's some pretty good cinematography throughout. All in all, a very well crafted and entertaining Western!

Set in the Old West in 1871 we meet Jon (Mads Mikkelsen)and Peter (Mikael Persbrandt) both soldiers who fought in the war of 1864 in their old country. Here Jon has been waiting to be reunited with his wife and son after a seven year gap. Only as soon as they arrive they befall a terrible crime and the only way Jon is going to be able to re right the wrong is by fighting back.

Now to say any more could be a plot spoiler – needless to say this is a classic western of the revenge genre. It paints the bad guys really bad and the good guys flawed but essentially 'right'. There is ambiguity too and there are the townsfolk with their own agendas and greed and power stalking the prairie.

What makes this outstanding is the acting, the musical score, the make up and the fantastic direction. Director Kristian Levring is clearly a fan of John Ford and those of you who know your westerns will see a few shots framed a la 'The Searchers'. Still I see this as flattery and this is truly an excellent film that will only go to prove that as a genre the western is alive, kicking and doing really well – absolutely recommended