THE SALVATION
Denmark/South Africa, 2014, 92 minutes, Colour.
Mads Mikkelsen, Eva Green, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Eric Cantona, Mikael Persbrandt, Douglas Henshaw, Michael Raymond- James, Jonathan Pryce.
Directed by Kristin Levring.
In many ways, the Salvation is a misleading title. There are some religious elements in the screenplay – but the ending provides some salvation for a town that is being oppressed by a savage gunfighter.
The idea of a western made by a Danish company is intriguing. And, they decided to make the film in South Africa. This means that there is a different perspective on the west, and the locations do not look particularly like the American West despite the building of a town which is to be destroyed at the end.
This is a double revenge western.
The focus is on a Danish soldier who goes to America after the war with Germany in the 1860s, settles but is unable to bring his wife and son to America for seven years. The film opens with their arrival, love, hope.
This hope is short-lived as two men, just release from prison, takeover seats in the Stagecoach, Torts – which lead to the death of the son and the wife after she has been raped. The soldier has been thrown from the coach – but, when he finds his dead wife and son, he shoots the rapist and his associate.
The brother of the criminal, a harsh soldier in the wars against the Indians, demands revenge from the town, from the undertaker-mayor, Jonathan Pryce, and the sheriff is also a minister of the church, Douglas Henshall. When the soldier is captured, along with his brother, he is tied to a post in the centre of the town and exposed to the elements but, eventually, freed by his brother and they escape.
There is a subplot about the wife of the dead criminal, Eva Green, who was tortured by the Indians as a child, their cutting out her tongue. She is involved with her brother-in-law in schemes to buy up the properties in the area but is sexually abused by him.
The climax is the soldier getting his revenge, killing the mayor and placing him in one of his own coffins, setting buildings on fire, shooting all the gunslingers and, eventually a confrontation between the soldier, the wife and the Indian fighter.
This is strong stuff, cowritten by Anders Peter Jensen, a prolific screenwriter and director, responsible for a number of films starring Mads Mikkelsen who again gives a strong performance. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is the loathsome villain with no redeeming features.No salvation for him.
1. The title? Its meaning for Jon and Madeline? Its meaning for the town? Revealed at the end?
2. A western of the 1870s? Audiences familiar with the landscapes, the towns, the gunfighters? A Danish perspective? Different?
3. The locations in South Africa? Not looking like the familiar west? The bright colours of the day sequences? The dark, blue-grey tone of the night sequences? The musical score?
4. The film as a revenge western? Brutality, justice, double revenge?
5. The information about Denmark, the war against Germany, the 1860s? Jon and his brother going to America? The long wait to bring his wife and son? Waiting at the station, tension, the arrival, joy, issues of language, Danish and English? The plans and hopes?
6. The stagecoach, the intruders, the taunts, the drink and the demands on Marie, fondling Marie, the pulling of guns, the companion and his gun, the taunts to Jon, pushing him from the coach? His walking, discovering the body of his son, the body of his wife? Shooting the stagecoach, shooting the men?
7. The town, Henry, his wanting revenge? His hold over the town? The mayor-undertaker? The sheriff-religious minister? The other citizens? Henry and his men? Demanding the killer to be brought, the deadline? His shooting the one legged man, the grandmother, the husband?
8. The town in fear, the buying up of the land, the role of the mayor, the deeds, giving them to Henry?
9. Jon riding into town, his capture? The capture of his brother? In the cells? The discussions with the minister, one man dying to save everyone else? The confrontation with Henry, the humiliation of Jon, his being taken to the post, tied up, left in the sun, the torment?
10. Jon’s brother, taunting the guard about his ugliness, tripping him, getting free? Freeing Jon, their riding off together? Jon and his weakness, hiding in the rocks? His brother leading the posse astray, their finding him, dragging him back to the town?
11. Jon, with the widow, the water, food? Her situation with her dead husband and the getting of their land?
12. Jon riding into town, his plan? Going to the mayor, having signed the deed and putting the money in his boot, the mayor taking his boots and the money? The mayor getting the coffin, getting in, his being shot? The wagon bringing the coffin into town?
13. The land deals, Henry and Madeline, his sexual encounter with Madeline, her reaction? Her past, treatment by the Indians, cutting out of her tongue? Her participation in the land deals, the money? A reaction against Henry? Taking the money, going to the train? His catching up with her, hitting her, imprisoning her, the threat of death after the men raped her?
14. Jon, going to the shop, the young lad whose grandmother was killed, his being a good shot? Jon and the guns, bullets, knife, kerosene?
15. The siege, Jon and his ability to pick off Henry’s men? The help of the young man, shooting from the roof? Setting the barns alight, the horses escaping? Jon being wounded?
16. The final confrontation with Henry, Henry scoffing, Madeline shooting him?
17. The sheriff riding in, coming in with help, the confrontation with Jon, the sheriff thanking him for saving the people? Jon and Madeline riding out? The final glimpse of the town, the discovery of oil and the derricks?
