‘A man can only take so much…’
Ti West has made his name as a horror director, specifically a horror director who makes stylised period pieces that hark back to the 70s and 80s. X, The Sacrament and The House of the Devil have marked West out as a singular talent on the horror landscape. A revenge themed western was perhaps an odd choice for a director so associated with the horror genre, but West adapts to this change of scenery nicely…
Paul (Ethan Hawke) is that most western of western film characters – the mysterious stranger. Otherwise known as the drifter. When Paul rides in to Denton, he sets off a series of events that will lead to a long and bruising encounter with local dickhead Gilly (James Ransone). The regional sheriff (John Travolta) tries in vain to keep a lid on the situation.
Unsurprisingly for a director so preoccupied with light and colour, In a Valley of Violence looks great. The costume and set design is exemplary and the town of Denton is a wonderful approximation of the classic westerns that this film is so influenced by – further emphasised by the harmonica heavy score. The plotting is also of a certain vintage. Man seeks revenge is a story as old as time, and the particular reason he seeks revenge here has also been done before in a number of films (some of which are more successful than this one). What elevates this film above other stock revenge thrillers is the cast. Hawke is great as a steely-eyed killer and Travolta surprisingly puts in his least cartoonish and therefore most successful performance in years. Karen Gillan and Taissa Farmiga are given little to do as a pair of local sisters, but they do at least add a touch of black humour to what is a frequently serious endeavour.
I don’t love westerns, but this one is well acted, cleverly directed and well written. Fans of the genre will find a lot to enjoy here, but the ending doesn’t pack as much of a punch as it should.