Seraphim Falls (2006)

And then comes the bang. Literally. Without warning, a bullet pierces his left arm. He jumps out of harm's way and falls down a steep snowy slope. Calmly and deliberately, a group of five armed men pursue him through the forest and over a waterfall.

When he's built somewhat of a lead, Gideon struggles to start a fire with one good arm and hands shaking from the bitter cold. And then, he performs painful self-surgery to remove the bullet. But his chasers—led by Carver (Liam Neeson) aren't far behind. And so, he keeps running. And the hunters keep chasing.

Pierce Brosnan as Gideon, who quickly finds himself running for his life

It's an energy-charged beginning with real suspense, great pacing, and an aggressive run-or-die tone. And it is unquestionably classic Western. It's sparse and gritty. There's little dialogue (and when there is, characters use Western-only phrases like "He done kilt them" and "thanks for that there stew of yorn"). The action occurs on an amazing landscape that reminds the audience of how small the characters are in the grand West. The theme is classic Western territory—revenge and self-administered justice.

And like many old Westerns of the 1950s and '60s, the plot points come naturally and slowly. We don't know who Gideon is. Or why he's being chased. Or even if he's the good guy or bad guy. Instead, we are seeing only the action. Someone is after him and he must run and kill to survive. The mystery hits its high note when after a day or two of chasing (or about 20 minutes of movie time), Carver sneaks up on Gideon in the dark.

Gideon asks: "Why are you doing this?"

Liam Neeson as Carver, who's doing the chasing

Unseen to Gideon, Carver calmly answers: "Seraphim Falls."

Western fans will love this start. The film's camera work and scenery is impressive. And anyone will appreciate what is clearly one of Pierce Brosnan's best performances. Bearded, reserved and unflinchingly powerful, this isn't James Bond. This is a character of pain—physical and emotional. And in Brosnan's face you see it all. This is a terribly realistic film—when a character is injured, he stays injured. He has to deal with that crippling wound for the extent of the movie, not suddenly feel better and run as if nothing's wrong. When it's cold out, characters are impaired by the bitter pain of exposed skin chapping. And Brosnan brings this pain and struggle to life. (Note: There's actually a lot of pain and struggle in this movie. It's not an easy movie to watch. It's bloody, graphic and violent. Knives fly. People are impaled. Animals and humans are gutted.)

But ultimately, the wheels come off this covered wagon. Disappointingly, the film's mystery, theme and narrative all unravel as the chase goes on way too long—with one or two too many "final" confrontations—and a string of plot points and twists that come across as just bizarre, out-of-place and, frankly, goofy. The problem is that instead of sticking with their taut, sparse and driven revenge Western, the screenwriters get too cute and try too hard. For instance, one big twist features Gideon using a very unusual means of hiding from his pursuers. What he does is so strange, so far-fetched and so unsuspected, that it was met by a burst of laughter when I saw the film. Everyone seemed to just go, "WHAT??"

Anjelica Houston as traveling saleswoman Madame Louise

It's about at this point that Seraphim's Western tone suddenly and dramatically shifts into the bizarrely surreal. While it's The Outlaw Josie Wales and Unforgiven in the first hour, it's Alice in Wonderland and The Canterbury Tales in the second. Bizarre, random characters pop up and spew cryptic lines that hint that the film is now operating on a whole different meta-physical, metaphorical level than what the audience saw in the first hour. There's nothing wrong with a film operating on a deeper level, but Seraphim Falls' tone shift is so jarring and unsettling, it makes the messages hard to unravel.

And what exactly is the message here?

It certain seems to be saying at least this much: Revenge is bad. Even God says we should leave that business to him (Romans 12:19). And in this film, there is a lot of talk about God—and plenty of biblical allusions and names. But other than the "revenge is bad" them, is the film advocating a certain perspective or message? It's not entirely clear. It seems like a moralistic tale advocating some biblical principles. Characters talk about God, and a group of Christian missionaries plays a prominent role at one point, but they come off as creepy as they do redeeming. And a theme about whose side God is on when people are at odds is left unresolved and confusing.

Sometimes, revenge can be a pain in the … arm

There's also an intriguing traveling saleswoman named Madame Louise (Anjelica Houston), who approaches both characters at separate times to sell them a "cure-all" potion. Neither man is interested in her cure. Instead, both trade for things they need to survive—and for things they need to destroy. It's very reminiscent of Chaucer's The Pardoner's Tale. It's fascinating and telling. But who is this Madame Louise? An actual saleswoman? A mirage? Is she the Devil who fuels the character's hatred while the missionaries personify God in trying to end the warring?

It seems as though Seraphim Falls could leave any two viewers with different impressions of what happens at the end of the film—and about what the movie is truly saying. Why does the final confrontation end the way it does? Is it all moral grandstanding? Or ambiguous?

What is clear is that the world of the film is very alone and desperate. Carver at one point says, "There's no God out here." The idea is that these characters have gone too far. They are no longer under God's supervision; they are too far gone. Or are they? Can love and peace still reach them? In the end, the film has a lot to say about the empty chase that is revenge.

We can always war because of what's inside us. As Carver says, "Only the dead know the end to war."