Written by Anders Thomas Jensen and Kristian Levring
Starring Mads Mikkelsen, Eva Green, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Mikael Persbrandt
In 1870s America, a peaceful Danish settler kills his family's murderer which unleashes the fury of a notorious gang leader. With a bounty on his head, his cowardly fellow townspeople betray him, forcing him to hunt down the outlaws alone.
A story of revenge and justice, this is single handedly the best foreign Western film since Clint Eastwood's "The Man With No Name" trilogy. It is a unique perspective on the old west told from a foreign settlers point of view, creating a stronger feeling of disgust with how he and his family were treated in their new home.
Mads Mikkelsen continues to prove himself as one of the elite actors of the world with a captivating performance as the vengeful Dane with nothing to lose. It is extremely easy to root for him as he kicks some ass and takes some names. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is intensely evil as the ruthless marauder.
If I had to nitpick, I would say this movies one flaw is it's formulaic plot. Regardless of it's unique, foreign settler perspective, it is a rather over-played story. Complete with a one-on-twelve shoot out and and intense standoff, it takes all of the aspects that makes westerns great. Yet, despite it's predictability, it is one of the best Western films in recent memory and revives a dying genre, if only for a while.
My Rating: 7/10
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