The Dark Valley

Another reviewer mentioned "The Great Silence" - exactly, that's the best comparison. It's a very condensed western without any frills, using little dialogue and less colour and relying on the character faces (congratulations, good casting and make-up here). In fact, the reduced colour palette gets a bit grating after a while; during the whole winter sequence (about 90% of the movie) there's not a single spot of green on the screen; everything is black, blueish-white and sepia tones. Even the shootout was shot in this muted palette - come on, blood on snow makes for such a nice contrast! And we never see a blue sky. I liked how they went for "different" when shooting those landscapes; it's rare that the mountains look that dreary, cold and inhibiting on the screen - but some scenes really could have used some colour.

Besides the dull palette, there were also some questionable (read: ridiculous) choices for music/soundtrack. And, really, there was not much tension since the story unfolds along well-trodden lines with not a single surprise anywhere. Otherwise, I can recommend this to anyone who likes a tight western. In Germany/Austria's world of streamlined TV-coproductions, this is a nice exception with its uncompromising look and story and the use of local idioms and dialect.

There isn't much to say about this movie. I was pretty thrilled to hear that Das Finstere Tal was chosen to be among the Oscar candidates. So I simply had to give it a shot, after all it's an Austrian movie. So what I've come to find is that, as you watch the film, it gets more and more awe-inspiring. Sam Riley's performance is simply impeccable. The cinematography stunningly created, the shots simply gorgeous and even the soundtrack is genuinely amazing. Andreas Prohaska has created something I haven't seen in a while. Bottom line, I'd highly recommend the movie to everyone interested in something refreshingly original, an alps-western (even if I never thought this genre would even exist).

A revenge western movie in the Alps. How cool sounds that!? The Dark Valley got finest cinematography, a never old growing story about revenge, rough characters living a rough life in some very remote place in the Alps, beautiful landscapes, on top we get a top production + excellent acting performed by Sam Riley and the whole cast. Thumbs up for this fine and exceptional addition to the genre of western and drama. Watch. Pronto.

This Movie is exceptional German/Austrian Movie. Never saw a Western in this Setting. Sometimes it reminds me of The Great Silence from 1968. But there is something that destroys this incredible Film. The Songs of the Soundtrack are extremely rubbish. What was in Prochaskas Mind, when he choose these Songs? Sad. Great Atmosphere and fine acting, destroyed by a Soundtrack. However, I hope this is the beginning of a new Revival for the European Western. But this time they don't try to pretend that the stories are happening in the US. I can imagine a Western in the Black Forest, or in the flat, wide region of northern Germany, or a polish one.

Great! The "Western" genre works surprisingly well in the alpine setting. The slow pace of the movie fits the gritty mood perfectly. What starts off like a "Whodunit?" quickly turns into a vendetta as the underlying plot is slowly revealed. Visually the film is expertly done and on par with any triple-A Hollywood movie. The acting is top notch by the whole cast. Some critics have complained that the movie takes itself too seriously and lacks humor. I think this is completely missing the point: a movie called "The Dark Valley" is clearly not angled like a dark comedy. Furthermore, nineteenth century winter life in an isolated mountain town is anything but fun, lending credibility to the concise dialogue and harshness of expression of the characters. The immersion is great, the story works well and thus the movie is definitely a must see in my opinion.