'The Salvation': For western fans, watching this movie is like encountering an old friend
The movie is a welcome addition to the western genre and our familiarity with the film’s sources, especially 'High Noon,' work in its favor.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan in, 'The Salvation.'
Courtesy of IFC Films
Hollywood doesn’t make many westerns anymore but that hasn’t stopped filmmakers overseas from taking up some of the slack. A welcome addition to the fold is Kristian Levring’s “The Salvation,” a Danish entry starring Mads Mikkelsen and Eva Green, shot in English and filmed mostly in South Africa.
With all this cross-pollination going on, the film itself, about a former Danish soldier (Mikkelsen) in America who avenges the murder of his wife and son, is practically a compendium of genre tropes. Our familiarity with the film’s sources, especially “High Noon,” work in its favor. For western fans, watching this movie is like encountering an old friend after a long absence. Grade: B (Rated R for violence throughout.)