-Written by Bryan Miller.
When the man she loves, Holger Olsen (Viggo Mortensen), goes off to fight in the Civil War, Vivienne Le Coudy (Vicky Krieps) must fend for herself in a place controlled by a corrupt mayor and his unscrupulous business partner. When Olsen returns from the war, he and Vivienne must confront and make peace with the person each has become.
I have always loved a good Western movie. There is something so fascinating about the old West. Seeing men and women riding on horseback through tough and desolate terrain, making do in some far-off town held together with rusty nails, hard alcohol, and the desire to achieve the American dream any way possible. Seriously, what is not to love? So, when I heard Mortensen was trying his hand at writing and directing a Western film starring Krieps, I was all in. Now, was Mortensen successful with his first Western film behind the camera? Was The Dead Don’t Hurt an inspiring throwback to past Westerns that starred the likes of John Wayne, Gary Cooper, or even Clint Eastwood, or was it an utter disaster? It was most definitely a success.
Let’s start with the positives…
Just about everything. I know, that seems like a lot, but I really enjoyed this movie. Mortensen may have only directed one film prior to this (the fabulous Falling in 2021), but lord did this feel like a film written and directed by a veteran. The story is simple: two people with troubled pasts find each other and set off to start a new life in the West. The world gets between them, and they are forced to come to terms with the consequences of their decisions. Simple enough, right? Mortensen takes what is relatively a basic concept and makes it unique and fresh. First, he tells the story in a nonlinear fashion, telling essentially two stories that eventually merge into one. The first story focuses on Krieps’ character, Vivienne Le Coudy, starting with her childhood and the loss of her father and stretching all the way to where the movie begins, which is with her death. That’s not a spoiler, by the way, since it happens within five minutes of the start of The Dead Don’t Hurt. The second story focuses on Mortensen’s Holger Olsen dealing with life after the death of Krieps’ character. The two stories progress side by side until they finally come together towards the end of the film. I thought this was a wonderful way of telling what is essentially a simple story by leaping about within the narrative. It establishes situations in Mortensen’s story that are explained in Krieps’ portion, which I absolutely loved.
Another thing that I enjoyed thoroughly about this film was the acting. Though this film is broken up into two stories, this film is absolutely Krieps’ film and she owns it. I was well aware of her prowess after viewing her in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread so I was not surprised by what she brought to this role. Krieps portrays Vivienne Le Coudy as a strong yet conflicted female character surrounded by a sea of men. Apart from her mother, who is only shown in flashbacks, Vivienne Le Coudy is the only prominent female character in The Dead Don’t Hurt and she shines in every scene. Krieps portrays Vivienne with a fierce streak of independence but does show that she is extremely vulnerable. Her chemistry with Mortensen is natural and the two work extremely well together to make you care for and cheer on these two wounded individuals. Mortensen, as always, is astounding as Olsen. Like Vivienne, Olsen is flawed and seeks to somehow confirm his own manhood by leaving the woman he loves in a new town by herself to fight in a war that does not need him. It’s a ridiculous move that adds a major fissure in Olsen and Vivienne’s relationship, but the consequences of this decision truly push the second act of The Dead Don’t Hurt and add a layer to Mortensen’s character that makes him become even more real and sympathetic. On the flip side, Solly McLeod and Garret Dillahunt play the film’s villains of Weston and Alfred Jeffries. Though Garret’s character is greedy, conniving, and just down right slimy, it is Solly’s who is the real monster. Solly portrays the character as a powder keg ready to burst at the drop of a hat, which he does often. There is some insinuation as to the reasoning for his erratic behavior, but that does not excuse what he does as he is without a doubt wretched. All in all, the acting in this film is incredible, with even many of the secondary characters, some portrayed by the likes of Danny Huston, W. Earl Brown, and Ray McKinnon, bringing this clearly flawed world to life.
Looking at The Dead Don’t Hurt from a technical aspect, the movie is beautifully shot. Mortensen, along with Director of Photography Marcel Zyskinduses, uses incredibly vibrant locations to set his scenes and makes certain the viewer does not miss out. Mortensen’s score, which sounds to be only a simple violin, is effective and moving, drawing the viewer's attention to the subtlety and beauty of each individual scene without ever distracting them.
So with all this positivity, is there a downside?
I suppose the movie's two-hour and nine-minute runtime can feel a bit stretched for some, though I never felt it at any point. The movie is a serious examination of love and loss in the old West, so the laughs are very few, and by few, I mean none. I am not saying there are no light moments, but do not come into The Dead Don’t Hurt thinking that at any point you are going to laugh out loud or even chuckle, but you will smile warmly from time to time.
All in all, this movie is absolutely fabulous, and I would recommend it to just about anyone who enjoys a strong, character-based Western.
Written & Directed by Viggo Mortenson.
Starring Vicky Krieps, Viggo Mortenson, Solly McLeod, Garret Dillahunt, W. Earl Brown, Danny Huston, etc.
9/10 = DROP EVERYTHING AND GET TO THE THEATER NOW
