The 2024 Western The Dead Don’t Hurt is both stunning and brutal. The film itself opens with a mass murder in a saloon and a savage miscarriage of justice. For a movie that is a mix of backstory and nonlinear storytelling, it moves slowly but enthralls nonetheless.
Viggo Mortensen writes/directs/stars and scores The Dead Don’t Hurt. He gives us a west that is bleak, stark, simple and deadly. The film looks stunning. DP Marcel Zyskind makes each frame an exercise in beauty and composition that is breathtaking in its scope.
Peder Pedersen edits this nonlinear tale with the precision of a surgeon wielding a scalpel.
The Story
A woman dies. As we work to take in this tragedy the film cuts to the town. A man named Weston shoots a large amount of people inside the saloon. As he leaves the scene of the crime the opening credits roll.
Olsen buries his wife and the Mayor tries to get the lawman involved with the murderous actions in town. He and his son continue their work on the grave.
This starts the back and forth storyline of the film. The Dead Don’t Hurt gives us the old west through the eyes of the immigrants, the poor and the wealthy. All struggling to get ahead.
The Cast
Viggo Mortensen is Holger Olsen.
Vicky Krieps is Vivienne Le Coudy.
Solly McLeod is Weston Jeffries.
Garret Dillahunt is Alfred Jeffries.
W. Earl Brown is Alan Kendall.
Danny Huston is Rudolph Schiller.
Atlas Green is Little Vincent.
*Kudos to Atlas Green as the silent boy that Holger takes everywhere.*
It all works
While Holger’s background is only learned via his meagre offerings of explanation, Vivienne’s is in depth. Her past is touching and sad. As a child, she learns of Jeanne d ARc (St Joan of Arc.) and is quite fanciful. We do not know what lead her to become the woman we meet later.
The Dead Don’t Hurt takes us from the relative luxury of San Francisco to the small town where nefarious plans are afoot. The film ties grief, loss and greed together perfectly with evil.
As well as a simple sort of love.
Monsters, we learn, have two legs, wear brutal looking spurs and are completely immoral.
Not your normal western
The Dead Don’t Hurt is not your normal western. While it is set the west, it is also a morality tale and a romance.
It is slow.
This does not, however, hurt the film. This is one of those gems that manages to maintain interest throughout. The pacing works for the tale being told.
This is a splendid bit of storytelling. We care for these two people. Holger and Vivienne are people who are taking their time to fall in love. Sadly, time has other ideas here.
The Verdict
The Dead Don’t Hurt is a solid 5 stars out of 5. Mortensen proves with his second time in the director’s chair that he is more than good at this. The film is streaming on Paramount plus. Go pop a huge bowl of popcorn, grab a few cokes or beers, or the libation of your choice and enjoy this filmatic piece of art.
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