Seraphim Falls

Year of Release: 2006
Genre: Western
Rating: R for violence and brief language.
Director: David Von Ancken
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Liam Neeson, Michael Wincott, Xander Berkeley, Ed Lauter, Anjelica Houston, Angie Harmon

Date Of Review: February 2008

“Seraphim Falls” is predominately a suspense film in a western setting. Liam Neeson and his band of bloodthirsty men are out to kill a bearded Pierce Brosnan. Why, we don’t know? And there is no hint at any answers for quite some time. There are a couple of brief flashbacks throughout but they reveal very little. Neeson is unflinching in his quest but what connects these two men together? All is revealed in the final third. I haven’t seen a film in such a longtime that relies so much on a suspense element.  It just builds and builds and builds and holds you in its grip. It is certainly not your traditional western. There are no saloons, no standard gunfights and no clear cut good guys and bad guys. What it does have is some amazing location scenery and a spectacular opening sequence in a waterfall setting that is simply breathtaking.  

An interesting element of “Seraphim Falls” is that Brosnan’s weapon of choice is a hunting knife, not a gun, and he does just as much damage with a hunting knife as Rambo does. How Brosnan disposes of one of his pursuers makes Rambo look like an amateur.  In fact Brosnan’s character may have a little bit more in common with Rambo than just that simple hunting knife. Both characters are battle-scarred men. Brosnan is a civil war veteran troubled by the things he has seen and has done, just as Sylvester Stallone’s Vietnam vet was in the original “First Blood”. Maybe you could even view Brosnan’s characters as Rambo’s father or grandfather for that matter….enough said about Rambo…. sorry I might be getting a little bit carried away here, but the reality is “Seraphim Falls” did make me think of Rambo.

Surprisingly, this film didn’t get a full-fledged theatrical release but don’t let that stop you from seeing it. “Seraphim Falls”, although not brilliant, is worthy of a little more attention than it got. It’s a known fact that some distributors believe that the western is a dying genre and that there wouldn’t be an audience for it in the new millennium. I am sure that if this film got some mainstream attention it would have found an immediate fan base.  It is a western, yes, but that is purely just the time and location setting. Aside from the suspense element, what makes “Seraphim Falls” unique is its unexpected ending and its uncharacteristic Brosnan performance. The religious iconography at the end might not be for all tastes but it is nevertheless noteworthy in its attempt. “Seraphim Falls” is a film that proves revenge is not always an easy solution. It is a tough, hard-hitting suspense thriller that will keep you riveted to the very end and proves that Brosnan is more than just Bond…James Bond.

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