The West may have been won by the men, but The Dead Don’t Hurt wants to show that the most difficult fight may have lain with the women.
Written and directed by Viggo Mortensen, The Dead Don’t Hurt tells the story of Vivienne Le Coudy (Vicky Krieps), an independent woman who falls in love with Danish immigrant, Holger Olsen (Mortensen). Set during the outbreak of the Civil War, their relationship is torn apart when Olsen decides to fight on behalf of the Union. Suddenly left on her own in a world of male toxicity and ferocity, Vivienne is forced to stand tall and fight for her family on her own.
For his second directorial effort, Mortensen taps into the best of western tropes while still finding a way to spin them in a new direction. This is not the sort of film designed to overstimulate the senses with wild editing and energetic cuts. Rather, this is meant to be a film where the characters (and the audience) feel the slow passage of time. The cinematography is sprawling with a sense of brutality and optimism. Much like other classic westerns, this is a lawless world, where the dusty terrain is ruled by whiskey and violence.
But, by focusing the narrative voice upon Vivienne, Dead tells a different story. Instead of celebrating the brutality as courageous, the viewer sees the damage left in the wake of masculine toxicity. This isn’t a story about the glories of war. Instead, Dead recognizes the ways that male bravado has poisoned the world. For example, although Holger believes he’s doing the right thing by enlisting, he leaves his wife exposed. Although she stands firm against the world around her, Vivienne is fighting alone.
Though, this is also the very lifeblood of Dead. Whereas other westerns would follow the man going off to war, Dead keeps the viewer on the home front. By keeping the story within the home, we watch as Vivienne continues to evolve as a character. While she’s never weak, she continues to watch her grow in strength and power. At a time when men would attempt to force her into their mold, she kicks against them.
As such, the anchor to the film remains the strong work by Krieps. Faced with overwhelming odds, Krieps instills a fire behind the eyes of Vivienne. With her eyes sternly looking forward, the viewer never questions her resolve. Although she chooses to be in a relationship with Holger, she does not need to be in one. She is fiercely independent, even in a world that views her as lesser simply because of her gender.
Interestingly, Mortensen chooses to play with the concept of time in his story structure. Opening with Vivienne’s death and moving through flashback, Mortensen allowing past and present to entangle with one another. While this can admittedly be choppy at times, it does allow the viewer to see the effect that Vivienne has had upon her husband (as opposed to the other way around). In an oppressive world, the impact of Vivienne’s strength echoes throughout the stories of her family.
Just by standing firm, she becomes an agent of change.
Sprawling and epic, there’s something entrancing about The Dead Don’t Hurt. There’s an affection for the genre that Mortensen brings to the film that makes it infectious. Even so, the real heartbeat of this vision of the Old West lies with Krieps, as she proves that real strength doesn’t lie on the battlefield.
To hear our interview with Viggo Mortensen, click here.
The Dead Don’t Hurt is available on Digital/VOD on Tuesday, July 16th, 2024.
