BRIMSTONE

US, 2016, 148 minutes, Colour.
Guy Pearce, Dakota Fanning, Kit Harrington, Clarice van Houten, Paul Anderson, Carla Juri, Emilia Jones, Vera Vitale.
Directed by Martin Koolhoven.

Brimstone is a disturbing and pessimistic film. It is a different perspective on the American West, coming from a Dutch director.

The title indicates fire and brimstone, a focus on Hell. And this is the religion of the central character, the Reverend, coming from Europe to the American West, setting up a church, his preaching and singing Abide with Me. He is played with extraordinary intensity, viciousness and violence by Guy Pearce (who also played the most vicious character in Lawless).
This is a long film. And it has an interesting screenplay, rather than having flashbacks, it has four acts, with biblical titles: Revelation, Exodus, Genesis, Retribution. The first three acts are presented in reverse time, the fourth act leading us into the future.

Also at the centre of the film is the character of Liz, a mature and wide-ranging performance from Dakota Fanning. She is first seen as a mute wife of a farmer, a midwife for the local community. She tries to avoid the Reverend. But the Reverend kills her husband forcing her to flee with the children.

The film then goes back to the story of Joanna, a mysterious young woman who was sold into prostitution in the town saloon. The film is particularly brutal and blunt in its presentation of the men's sexual and physical violence towards the women, cruelty, with the women being threatened with punishment if they do not please their clients. It is here that the audience sees Liz as one of the prostitutes, with an explanation of why her tongue is cut out and why she should be present at the farm.

The film then goes further back, the Revelation of the life of the Reverend and his brutal domination of his wife, even to whipping her, putting a mask on her mouth. Then there is his daughter, Joanna, and his treatment of her, lusting after her. Two mysterious riders take refuge in the barn, Joanna reacting against her father's treatment of her with a sexual liaison with one of them (Kit Harrington). Her mother hangs herself in the church, Joanna fleeing after her father shoots the stranger.

In the fourth act, the Reverend finally catches up with his daughter, Liz being Joanna. They travel through the snow, the Reverend pursuing, finally entering the house and murdering her father-in-law, threatening the little girl, even whipping her, before Liz is able to throw flames at her father, consuming him in a kind of hellfire.

The pessimism continues when the mother is arrested in mistake for the original Liz and her killing of the saloon manager. There are some glimpses of hope with the voice-over of the daughter and her memory of her mother.


1. The title? The tone? Religious overtones? In the words of the Reverend and his preaching?

2. A western, the Dutch director, a European perspective?

3. Location photography, the western town, the farms, the church, saloons and brothels, the seasons and the isolation? The musical score?

4.The structure of the film, Revelation, Exodus, Genesis, Retribution? The first three chapters moving in reverse time? The effect, the gradual understanding?

5. Revelation, the focus on Liz, mute, the antagonistic attitude of her son, love for her husband, her daughter helping her with the midwife work, bringing life into the world?

6. The church, the congregation, the Reverend and his appearance, hat, dressed in black? His sermon, fire and brimstone? Pessimistic theology? Liz and her seemingly wanting to avoid the gaze of the preacher?

7. The pregnant woman, collapse, Liz in the cart, going to help, transferring the woman into the church, the severity of the childbirth, the forceps? The death of the baby, Liz’s mysterious reaction? Her daughter, the woman helping? The reaction of the Reverend and his presence?

8. Liz and her fear, the Reverend and his presence in the house, sinister, his attack on the husband, violent, the husband dying, the reaction of his son, the father urging Liz to escape, the Reverend burning down the house and barn?

9 Exodus. Joanna, in the wagon, the Chinese, into the town, her being sold to the saloon owner? Frank and the girls? The brothel? The girls, the sexual encounters, Joanna forced to watch Sally? Sally and her friendship, killing the client, condemned, hanged? The audience seeing Liz amongst the prostitutes? The way of life, Frank dominating?

10. The men, brutal attitudes, the harshness towards the women, the women urged to please or else be punished? The violence of the punishment? Liz and her reaction the cutting out of her tongue? The plan for her to find a husband, getting the documents? Frank, the attack, her killing him? Her dying?

11. Liz assuming her friend’s identity? Getting the doctor to cut out her tongue, her doing it herself, leaving?

12. Genesis. The origins of the story? The background of the Reverend? European, the religious sect, the church, his authority, his sermons? His control over the congregation? Over his family? The character of his wife, subservient, cruel to her, whipping her? His daughter, making her work, her experience of menstruation, the support of her mother, the lust of her father?

13. Sam and his story, the dead men, the shooting? His riding with his companion, refuge in the barn? The bond with Joanna? The viciousness of his hanging his companion from the roof of the toilet?

14. The wife, the mask on her mouth, in church? The humiliation? Her hanging herself in the church? Joanna's reaction, the sexual encounter with Sam? Sam confronting the Reverend, the Reverend shooting him? Joanna and her fleeing?

15. Retribution. Liz and the children, travelling through the snow, the Reverend and his pursuit? Her stopping, with the rifle, the Reverend shooting the son, his death? Going to the father-in-law, his welcome, his being killed?

16. The Reverend in the house, his threatening Liz, threatening her daughter, his wanting vengeance, the long years of pursuit? The audience realising that Liz was Joanna? The confrontation between father and daughter? The Reverend whipping the little girl? His daughter tied up, her raising her arms and getting free, throwing the fire, consuming the Reverend, an image of hellfire?

17. Liz and her settling with her daughter, the arrival of the sheriff, the notice, wrongly identifying Liz, arresting her? On the float in the water? Her throwing herself into the water, drowning?

18. The daughter, the voice-over throughout the film and her comments on her mother? The mother-figure emerging from the water, the spirit of Liz to protect her daughter?