When I was offered a chance to screen Brimstone digitally, I jumped on it because for me, a snuggly couch with a cup of hot tea is the ultimate environment for Western fare. Good Westerns are endlessly satisfying films to watch. I love letting these slow-burn stories set their claws into my brain. I am engulfed in a period of America where times were tough, land was cheap, and opportunism was king. Brimstone, a film directed and written by Martin Koolhoven delivers a beautifully crafted, slightly flawed story of a woman fighting for her life during a time when women had little recourse for freedom.
The film is sliced into four different chapters of a young woman’s life. The chapters don’t follow chronological order and each one tackles a different set of challenges for our heroine. The movies starts from the second to last chapter of her tale. Liz, played in understated grace by Dakota Fanning, is introduced as the town’s midwife, and is unable to speak. Her young daughter acts as her translator, and she seems well accepted by her town and her husband. We quickly get the sense that Liz is a decisive and wise lady, young but hardened by circumstances that are revealed later in the film. A new reverend takes up shop at her church, played by a very intense Guy Pearce. Liz, upon discovering the reverend is in town, becomes alarmed and warns her husband to keep away from the newcomer. From this point of the film and onward, the mystery of Liz’s past life and of The Reverend begins to unfurl in an intense and tragic drama. Liz is determined to persevere at any cost, and her life is full of difficulties that highlight the brutal plight of women in her era.
The first act is a bit too dry, and for about 20 minutes or so, I was having doubts about the movie overall. It would do better with a bit more of a bite up front, and a stronger hook for the viewer. While the purposeful and pensive nature of this story does work well overall, it could easily lose a less patient viewer. By the second chapter, this issue is cleared out as the filmmakers pick up the pace and the story jumps back in time to more dynamic circumstances. We find ourselves in a brothel in this chapter so things inevitably get more colorful. The third chapter jumps back again, to the end of Liz’s childhood, and two Game of Thrones actors, Clarice Van Houten and Kit Harington lend their star power to the story. Our main character is now played by Emilia Jones, who gives us a good performance as a younger version of our tough heroine. This chapter is the “where it all began” portion of the movie and all your questions about our protagonist’s life and The Reverend are answered. It’s probably the saddest part of the story because you see where it all went wrong. It takes a strong position against fanatical religion and highlights more of the intimate human rights violations against women in these times. The subplot that features Kit Harington is kind of tossed out haphazardly and weakens an otherwise strong act.
In addition to ringing true as a gritty Western drama, Brimstone also has the atmosphere of a tense thriller. There are moments of deep suspense and terror, particularly in the last act, when Pearce goes full villain. He’s as creepy as can be and delivers a stoic serial killer flavor in his performance. At this point in the story, we know why Liz fears The Reverend and the audience is treated to a haunting albeit slightly under-whelming conclusion. To be honest, I thought The Reverend’s fate was underplayed and should have been more dramatic. As the most despicable of persons, I would have liked to see him suffer more, a lot more.
Beautifully shot, Koolhoven uses the stark landscape of several European locations including Hungary, Austria, and Germany. The snow scenes are breath-taking and reflect Liz’s lonely struggle to survive when odds are stacked against her. Set designs are lovely and well-done. One truly gets lost in another era when watching Brimstone. The movie also holds plenty of visceral violence. There is gore, rape, and bloody murder, so be prepared for that. This is not a movie for children and it isn’t a gun slinger Western. It’s dark and features lots of icky moments.
Rich in atmosphere and touting a good story, Brimstone is also a good movie, although it’s not a great one. It has wonderful elements of excellent storytelling, but a few hiccups in pacing and a lukewarm conclusion tarnish what is overall, a solid film. It’s worth watching if you like harrowing tales of survival and understated period pieces. I enjoyed it despite its flaws.
Thanks for reading,
The Diva Del Mar
