SummaryWrongly accused of a crime she didn’t commit, a frontier woman (Dakota Fanning) turned fugitive is hunted by a vengeful preacher (Guy Pearce) in the menacing inferno of the old American West.
SummaryWrongly accused of a crime she didn’t commit, a frontier woman (Dakota Fanning) turned fugitive is hunted by a vengeful preacher (Guy Pearce) in the menacing inferno of the old American West.
Brutal in its depictions of violence, Brimstone is tough to watch at times, but never less than gripping, even as the clock creeps up to the 150-minute mark.
Brimstone is hampered somewhat by its ponderous, doom-laden pace, and resultant bloated running time, but remains an intriguing slant on the spaghetti western.
I liked the fact that the movie was separated in to multiple acts, and that they were not in chronological order. It gave the movie a realistic vibe, and let on exactly just as much as the audience needed to know, not more. But in contrast with this, lies the big issue. The worst pacing issue Iv'e seen in a long time. Because irrelevant scenes take to much, and the real action happened to fast. Almost 80% of the movie was dragging, and it was too long as a whole. At least it wasn't try harding, it wasn't forcing, because the actors could deliver the feelings they where supposed to. So great job by the actors, and the director taking the greatest angles for the shots he needed to deliver the feeling to the big screen. The movie had this dark western vibe, the unfairness and the muddy, ugly part of it. The movie itself is not entertaining or fun to watch, it's hard most of the time. But I think this is the way it was supposed to be, so I can't discredit the movie here. Also the VFX and the SFX where great, the righting was just right on point and not to excessive. But because the plot was that simplified (focused only on one protagonist) it also lacked a life lesson. Which really hurts the movie as a whole. So overall it's a great movie, but barely. Mystery, drama and other stuff is all there so I couldn't give it a 6. The movie is good, but it's not for my taste or for general taste I guess. But because I'm objective and the movie was decent enough I had to give it a 7.
The first act was kind of boring and I was wondering where it was going to lead after the conflict gets sort of resolved but from the second act, you got a lot of answers although questions are left open too. I enjoyed it a lot.
If, for all of its godawful men, “Brimstone” has a hard time sewing its feminist fervor into anything more than a thin shawl over its bleak spectacle, this disturbingly watchable religious Western makes a solid case that hell is a place on Earth.
The film has gruesomely effective moments, and one at times gets caught up in the gears of its big interlocked narrative, but it also has serious longueurs.
The filmmaker isn't as nimble as he is ambitious, though, and you'll feel all 148 minutes of Brimstone's runtime — just maybe not in the way Koolhoven wants you to.
The trouble that had never let her alone.
A story about America, Hollywood cast, but produced and directed by outsiders. A powerful film. Kind of mix of 'No Country for Old Man' and 'Les Miserables'. The narration divided into four parts. The first episode called Revelation. An introduction life around Liz, but full of suspense after every unexpected turn in the story. Then in the second episode called Exodus, a young girl, Joanna introduced and following the third knows as Genesis, goes ever further back into Joanna's life, before returning to Liz's in the fourth known as Retribution.
Maybe Dakota's best performance being an adult actress. As well as the young actress Emilia Jones. They both had played the same character, but in a different timeline. Interestingly, in real life, they share the same birth day and month as mine. From one of the film poster, I thought it was Michael Sheen. Only realised while watching the film that it was Guy Pearce. From writing to the making, it was a very good film. But the story could make some people uneasy. Because everything that's happened between the people and their relationship, not for soft guys. Yet it is a must see thriller, a must see western.
7/10
This is brilliant masterpiece of film but it's not one that will suit most audiences.
It's a slow burn drama at the beginning, then turns into a kind of western /slasher film toward the end.
Wholly original story and some great performances and cinematography. If you liked Mother you will probably enjoy this.
No popcorn movie for the wide audience.
Stylistically, Brimstone is a bit like the movie "Mother!". Brimstone has less subtle mystical and psychological features. Also, he is less consistent in the visual language. Although the film plays in America at the beginning of the 19th century, it does not have the characteristics of a classic western. One can rather expect a drama / thriller with features of mysticism.
The story is touching and exciting, in places and the end of the movie unfortunately trivial. Some pictures are uselessly violent and shocking. A little less would not have damaged the overall picture.
The film invites discussion and can lead to controversy. Especially here is the value.
Except for a few dropouts, the actors wear the solid film.
If I can say anything positive is that the movie looks good. But in the end, it is very repetitive on it's narrative. It's like a low-rent Von Trier film dressed up in a western genre. spoilers ahead:
I didn't see the point of telling the story in that particular order other than being a gimmick. The reason it's repetitive is because you can take a drink anytime a nice character appears and dies a gruesome exaggerated death. I was hoping the movie would redeem itself and throw in a supernatural spin or reveal the Reverend to be not human (since he was introduced that way and all the other events seemed to be adapted straight out of a comic book). But alas the movie tries to make this into a metaphor of toxic masculinity or something. Well it isn’t really a metaphor when you beat the audience over their heads for two hours with a jackhammer. A better version of this movie already exists, it's called 'The Night of the Hunter'(1955)
Production Company
N279 Entertainment,
Proton Cinema,
Backup Media,
Film i Väst,
FilmWave,
Illusion Film & Television,
Prime Time,
X-Filme Creative Pool