"For we receive the due reward of our deeds" is the opening caption and we quickly find ourselves in the middle of an atmospheric scene where two men drag a box through the woods. They are bloodied and desperate and clearly on the run from some sort of justice but we are not fully informed as to their story or what the details of all this is. This is important to mention because while the narrative is light on detail, the film does do a great job of informing us with tone and atmosphere and even knowing nothing you are right there with it – understanding things like consequences, feeling etc. The old western feel is really well done – but not the John Wayne style but the There Will be Blood style. It is gritty, dirty and dangerous.
For me personally the second half doesn't quite work as well as the first. The first half is very strong on atmosphere with strong performances from the two leads, dialogue and impressive cinematography which makes the most of the location. The second half continues a lot of this but becomes a music video of sorts. It is still atmospheric and still has a lot of style and content but at the same time the concept didn't work as well for me as the first half. I did like the song but it always felt dubbed over the top of events (which of course it is) but somehow it was never totally part of things. It is hard to describe how I felt on this, but although the main character was lip synching the track, at the same time it felt disconnected and I missed the real "air" of the time and place that had existed prior to this section.
That said, it does still work very well. The two performances are very good, the cinematography and locations work very well and the whole film has an engaging and convincing atmosphere. The music video section may not quite be up to the same level, but even still it works.
