The Salvation (2015)

"We’ve been hoping and praying for someone like you 

to come along and save us from our misery."

Not too many surprises with this gritty Danish Western but it packs a punch that'll knock you off your horse.

After a peaceful settler kills the men who murdered his family, he unknowingly unleashes the fury of a ruthless local gang leader.

After a steady stream of mostly forgettable American westerns that have been made in recent years, it's refreshing to see a unique, yet classic, take on the western by Danish director Kristian Levring.

'The Salvation' isn't particularly ground breaking, in fact, I'd say it was almost predictable as far as westerns go but it's an enjoyable ride nonetheless.

Straight from the start you can tell that this is a film that's definitely not going to pull any punches. Jon is a peaceful man who has settled in America for quite some time and he's now brought his wife and child over to live in America. Unfortunately, in a horrible twist of fate, two thugs rape and execute his wife and child. It's as hard hitting as you'd expect.
After claiming revenge on the men responsible, Jon then has to deal with the wrath of the dead mans brother, who happens to be the meanest and baddest gang leader in town...

Well known actor Mads Mikkelsen, known for 'Hannibal' and 'Casino Royale' plays Jon and delivers a tough and calculated performance as a man who is broken and betrayed. It is heartbreaking to watch his predicament go from bad to worse with every scene. He has to go head to head with gang leader Delarue and, as you'd expect, all hell breaks loose.
Mikkelsen manages to make you empathise with a man on the verge of being evil himself and makes you root for him because, let's face it, he has an incredibly tough time of it in this film. 
From the start you understand exactly who Jon is and you see his character transform as the film progresses. He is a peaceful ex-soldier who has made a life for his family and when that is taken from him, there's a change in him that cannot be repaired. He maturely and subtly takes us along with him in this dark and unsettling journey.

The supporting cast were all interesting characters with some well known faces, including Eva Green, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Jonathan Pryce, who all give stellar performances. A special mention for Mikael Persbrandt who plays Jon's brother, his relationship with Jon is believable and heartfelt which definitely gives the film more weight.

It's a straight forward revenge story, with some interesting themes and ideas thrown in for good measure, but it carries a lot of classic trademarks of the western and makes use of them in modern ways.
I could guess where the film was going but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's not a film that has to fill the run time with endless twists and turns, instead, it takes us on a rough ride into some dark places. Jon and his brother have to deal with the calm before the inevitable storm brought by Delarue. The tension is subtle and gradually builds to the climax which is exactly the pay-off you are waiting for.

It was interesting to watch how each character reacts to the chaos that Jon creates. Each character has their own motive and plans and you really get a sense of a well formed world created by director and writer Kristian Levring. I've not seen any of his work but I'd be curious after seeing 'The Salvation'.

'The Salvation' is as hard hitting as it is violent. You feel every punch and gunshot as if you were standing mere feet away and that really brings it home for an audience. There are some bone crunching scenes that will have you looking away but, with that being said, you don't actually see a lot of it. It's all worked into the clever sound design and subtle editing. You're imagination will fill in the blanks of what you're not seeing and you see the aftermath when it's finished.

A lot of the cinematography in 'The Salvation' is just gorgeous. It beautifully captures the classic landscapes, sets and costumes and really takes the audience to the west. It's unique. It isn't quite like anything I've seen before, in a good way, and it captures the sunsets and romantic set pieces of the classic western, but contrasts them with some gritty imagery. It's a western fans wet dream and I'm sure people who aren't familiar with the genre will appreciate it just the same.

It has a soundtrack that encapsulates all of the classic western traits and it's beautifully apt in every scene. There's a score to be heard rather than ambient noise and every strum of a guitar spells trouble for Jon or whoever is going to get in his way. It is reminiscent of the classic work of Ennio morricone and that's probably deliberate.

Overall, 'The Salvation' is nothing new but, in it's own way, feels both modern and classic. It's full of realism and dark themes but it still knows what type of film it is. It plays to the strengths of the western and takes some interesting and creative choices within the confines of that genre. It boasts a great cast with some breathtaking cinematography.

If you're a western fan then you won't find anything new here but it's a well executed western that's tough and mean and definitely isn't to be missed.