Seraphim Falls [DVD]

 

 

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A film of two halves, but with a somewhat uncomfortable join.
This movie starts off with one of the most gritty and riveting hunts in recent memory. Pierce Brosnan's weatherbeaten and hardened ex Union officer is the hunted one, and Liam Neeson is the hunter, driven remorselessly by the ghosts of his past. The cold of the mountains, the pain of using a knife to gouge out a bullet and cauterize the wound, the chill of the water, the close quarters kills with the knife, all make for a visceral start with minimal dialogue and little explanation. Each man is completely single minded - one on survival, and one on revenge. As the chase moves onto the plains, we discover more about their past and the reason for the chase, marking a change in tone of the movie. As the plains give way to the desert, the movie takes an altogether more mythical and almost surreal mood, which is sure to divide audiences. Those expecting an action packed climax to the chase may feel cheated, however what we do get is at the very least thought provoking and I think lingers in the memory much more than a conventional showdown would have.
The director borrows heavily from the greats - the revenge themes of many a spaghetti Western, with the repeated flashbacks revealing a little more each time we see them reminiscent of Leone, also Ford's `The Searchers', as well as the atmosphere of Eastwood's Westerns. Borrowed the styles may be, but they are put together with a unique voice and vision, albeit in a somewhat hollow way in which the director too often substitutes myth and images for true drama. But what startling images they are! The photography is beautiful, whether it is the stark beauty of the mountains and snow, or the green of the plains or the arid expanses of the desert, and the images of the men facing off, or Angelica Huston in the desert, will stick with you.
The musical score to the movie is surprisingly restrained, but is a perfect accompaniment to the story - at first minimalist and somber in minor keys, reflecting the movies tone of survival and single mindedness, then the score switches to something more traditional as it enters the plains and the sphere of a traditional Western, and finally becomes wistful and dreamlike in the final stages. It's imaginative and subtle, always in the background and never grabbing your attention, but adding immensely to the tone and feel of the movie, almost like another character.
It is the final third of the movie which feels just a little longer than it should, with some ideas dragged out, and with changes of tone which leave the viewer almost feeling like he is being asked to start a new movie. What helps keep the viewer hooked are the leads, who are terrific, the two Irishman fitting into a Western with great assurance. Brosnan in particular makes the most of a very physical role, with much more subtlety than we might expect. Otherwise, a strong supporting cast of character actors is great to watch but frankly is given little of substance to do.
This is a flawed film, to be sure - but nonetheless it achieves what great cinema is supposed to - it stirs the emotions, and makes you think. Recommended.

This is one of the best Westerns I've ever seen, and on blu-ray it looks excellent. I had to watch it again just one week after having watched it the first time, I enjoyed the visuals and the story that much. The movie is much more realistic than the average Western, there are no saloons, riverboats nor sheriffs, just a cold snowy mountain at the beginning of the movie, from where the story begins to unfold. You can feel the cold winter air and the cold rushing waters. Seraphim Falls will take you back in time to witness a struggle to survive and avenge.

Seraphim Falls almost makes it into the territory of the great westerns. It is well acted (I haven't seen Brosnan this good in anything), beautifully shot and moves along at a wonderfully measured pace. Essentially, this is picaresque journey through the west structured around a revenge narrative. Neeson is tracking Brosnan. As the chase goes on, both parties meet interesting characters. And then they eventually meet face to face.

The film has a grit and a reality at its core, but also is alive to the sheer strangeness and multiplicity of the frontier, and the ending I found genuinely surprising. The one bum note in the film is the Neeson character's backstory which is, after all, the engine driving the whole narrative. The loss of his family is certainly reason enough for his quest, but as depicted it lacks power and drama (see, perhaps, The Outlaw Josey Wales for much more effective presentation of similar dramatic material).

Highly recommended.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Seraphim Falls
Seller sent this item out fast via post, I would recommened this seller.
At a low price this is worth watching. Good story to this film.

Published 6 months ago by John A. Dabson

5.0 out of 5 stars How did I miss it?
This is a fantastic film that I only ordered to try out my new Blu Ray player. I couldn't have picked a better film. Read more

Published 6 months ago by Acky

5.0 out of 5 stars the best western in a long time
loved it, this film has it all, I would not have considered putting either of the 2 actors in these roles, but they are magnificent, Pierce Brosnan especially. Read more

Published 7 months ago by edzshed

4.0 out of 5 stars "Nobody can protect nobody in this world."
Opening and closing in cinemas almost without leaving a trace, Seraphim Falls did nothing to help revive the western's big screen fortunes, but despite some problems it's an... Read more

Published 7 months ago by Trevor Willsmer

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!
I really enjoyed this film, it had me glued! O.k. so it's a Western, which is not everyone's Favourite, but it is a great film. Read more

Published 8 months ago by R. Lawrence

4.0 out of 5 stars Go as you wish. That which is yours will always return to you. That which you take will always be taken from you.
Seraphim Falls is directed by David Von Ancken who also co-writes with Abby Everett Jaques. It stars Liam Neeson, Pierce Brosnan, Michael Wincott, Xander Berkeley, Tom Noonan,... Read more

Published 8 months ago by Spike Owen

5.0 out of 5 stars "...Let Him Bleed..."
Both Pierce Brosnan and Liam Neeson have been putting in superb performances in their last few movies, and the first pairing of them in "Seraphim Falls" is proof that both are now... Read more

Published 8 months ago by Mark Barry, Reckless Records, ...

5.0 out of 5 stars A Western with a difference...
this review is for the blu ray version,which is beautiful to watch,fantastic scenery and photography, a revenge/chase film with a not unexpected ending but a slightly bizarre one... Read more

Published 9 months ago by andy.b.

5.0 out of 5 stars Seraphim Falls [Blu-ray] [2007]
A movie I never heard of, Seraphim Falls depicts the chase of Pierce Brosnan by Liam Neeson, all the way from a snowy forest to unrelenting deserts. Read more

Published 12 months ago by Aquelith

4.0 out of 5 stars Shot in 2:35 Ratio But Presented Here in 1:85. WHY?
This film has been reviewed enough. All I wish to point out is the puzzling and annoying fact that this DVD does not present the movie in its original screen ratio. Read more

Published 14 months ago by Sean M Duggan

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