The Salvation - B

Rated R, 92 minutes
Wes's Grade: B
In English, with some Danish/English subtitles

Stylish and violent Danish western "The Salvation" isn't surprising but a satisfying yarn

The stylish, moody and bloody Danish western movie "The Salvation" pulls no punches and spares no one in the process. It's essentially a minimalist-style revenge flick that Eastwood would've done in the early 1970s, thus is no surprise in its ultimate outcome, but it's an entertaining, slow burn getting there. In 1870s America, peaceful Danish settler Jon (Mads Mikkelsen) kills his family's murderers which unleashes the fury of a notorious gang leader named Delarue (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). His cowardly fellow townspeople then betray him, forcing him to hunt down the outlaws alone. "The Salvation" is a handsome, well-cast and well-acted Danish production, directed and co-written by Danish director Kristian Levring that's an enjoyable, if none too surprising and violent, Western yarn that serves up an age old story. The nice production values aid "The Salvation," it's handsomely shot on location in South Africa by Jens Schlosser with some nice period music from Kasper Winding that help build some tension, particularly in its final, bloody act. Even with that, it's the stellar international casting that is most memorable, with acclaimed Danish star Mikkelsen, of such foreign films as "The Hunt" and "After the Wedding" to such big-budget American fare as "Casino Royale" (he's the bad guy) grounding the film as well as Costner or Eastwood could: he's peaceful and says little until you step on the wrong nerve, which would include killing his family. As the chief villains, Morgan ("Grey's Anatomy") and French actor Eric Cantona are suitably evil (killing innocent people at random is never a good thing), while Jonathan Pryce and Mikael Persbrandt contribute some good scenes as the town's weak mayor and Jon's skillful brother, respectively (however, a miscast Eva Green is given little to do in the resident, nonessential sexpot role). On the downside, the slow-moving "The Salvation" is exactly that, it's a downer, with a depressing tone and well-worn story, though some will find solace in the bloody but satisfying ending. Mikkelsen's unique, minimalist look has made him a star, and "The Salvation" should help further his career even more, and making this a Western that's worth a look. Playing in limited release in DFW at The Texas Theater and currently on Video on Demand (VOD).