The film The Dead Don’t Hurt had a theatrical release at the end of May. If you missed seeing this from filmmaker Viggo Mortensen, this is an opportunity for you to do so digitally on all major platforms, either for purchase or rental now from Shout! Studios (in the U.S. and Canada). The Dead Don’t Hurt premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where Vicky Krieps was honored with the prestigious TIFF Tribute Performer Awards.
Synopsis
The Dead Don’t Hurt is a story of star-crossed lovers on the western U.S. frontier in the 1860s. Vivienne Le Coudy (Vicky Krieps) is a fiercely independent woman who embarks on a relationship with Danish immigrant Holger Olsen (Viggo Mortensen). After meeting Olsen in San Francisco, she agrees to travel to his home near Elk Flats, Nevada, where they start a life together. The outbreak of the civil war separates them when Olsen makes a fateful decision to fight for the Union. This choice leaves Vivienne to fend for herself in a place controlled by corrupt Mayor Rudolph Schiller (Danny Huston) and his unscrupulous business partner, powerful rancher Alfred Jeffries (Garret Dillahunt). Alfred’s violent, wayward son Weston (Solly McLeod) aggressively pursues Vivienne, who is determined to resist his unwanted advances. When Olsen returns from the war, he and Vivienne must confront and make peace with the person each has become. Both a tragic love story and a nuanced depiction of the conflict between revenge and forgiveness, The Dead Don’t Hurt is a portrait of a passionate woman determined to stand up for herself in an unforgiving world dominated by ruthless men.
Written and directed by Mortensen, The Dead Don’t Hurt is a powerful and profoundly personal cinematic Western that artfully blends the action, grit, and thrills of the American West with a captivating story of two pioneers embarking on a life journey fraught with obstacles. In addition to a nuanced depiction of the conflict between revenge and forgiveness, the film offers a unique female-forward perspective, which adds an extra layer of depth and complexity to the story.
Vicky Krieps (Corsage, Phantom Thread) and Viggo Mortensen (The Lord of the Rings, Captain Fantastic, Green Book) lead this gripping Western tale alongside an impressive cast that includes Solly McLeod (HBO’s House of the Dragon, Outlander), Garret Dillahunt (Red Right Hand, Fear the Walking Dead), Colin Morgan (Belfast, Merlin), Ray McKinnon (The Continental, Deadwood), W. Earl Brown (The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett), newcomer Atlas Green, and Danny Huston (The Aviator, Children of Men).
Here is a link to my review in May: https://trueviewreviews.com/posts/movie-review-the-dead-dont-hurt-vicky-krieps-excels-in-viggo-mortensens-western
Rated R | Movie Running Time: 129 minutes
North American Distributor: Shout! Studios
Source: Shout! Studios