DVD Corner

The Dead Don’t Hurt Blu-ray Review

Deathly slow.  

Written by, directed by, produced by and starring Viggo Mortensen, “The Dead Don’t Hurt” is a 1860’s set western told in a non-linear fashion. The story delves into the romance between a Danish immigrant carpenter named Holger and a strong-willed independent French-Canadian barmaid (Vivienne). When the Civil War calls away Holger, Vivienne is left on her own and becomes preyed upon by a vile problematic murderer (Weston) who is carefully guarded by his businessman father (Alfred) and the corrupt Mayor (Rudolph). Weston rapes Vivienne and she gives birth to a son (Vincent). Upon returning home, Holger learns the nauseating news about what happened and vows revenge against Weston, but another tragedy soon rears its head. 

Viggo Mortensen is no stranger to the western genre having starred in the underrated “Appaloosa,” “Hidalgo,” and “Young Guns 2.” This time around he’s putting on multiple hats for what is clearly a passion project with “The Dead Don’t Hurt.” The western deserves credit for going against the grain, but the slow-burn pacing and the non-traditional narrative hamper what could have been a more engaging tale.

‘Dead’ is certainly full of promise with a stacked cast featuring Viggo Mortensen, Vicky Krieps, Danny Huston, Solly McLeod, and Garrett Dillahunt and a story that is designed as a serious character piece. Krieps in particular has a lot to work with as the story is largely told from the feminine perspective of Vivienne. The problem is Mortensen takes far too long to set-up all the pieces. The unique narrative doesn’t add anything to the overall experience and, in fact, makes the pacing even clunkier. It’s understandable why Mortensen wanted to put his own stamp on this story and shake up the storytelling style, but it’s to the film’s detriment. 

One thing that we can all agree on though is that the cinematography by Marcel Zyskind is gorgeous. The location shooting, the sets, the relatively little action there is all looks superb here. The visuals are the real MVP.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.35:1 1080p. How does it look? However one may feel about the film itself, the cinematography dazzles in hi-def.

Audio Track: 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How do they sound? Both tracks do the job well.

Extras:
* Theatrical trailer
* 4 deleted scenes
* An extensive and thoughtful 68 minute making of featurette with interviews, set footage, and more.
* “A Conversation Between Jane Campion And Viggo Mortensen”- A 45 minute Zoom conversation between the 2 directors. 

December 2, 2024 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | The Dead Don't Hurt, The Dead Don't Hurt Blu-ray Review, Viggo Mortensen, western