‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’ Review
A Tender Story About Heartbreak, Love, And Violence That Will Leave No One Untouched
Film: The Dead Don’t Hurt. Year: 2024. Genre: Drama/Western. Director: Viggo Mortensen
Being a great actor doesn’t automatically make you a great director. That’s proven by the many directorial flops by A-list stars. However, when Viggo Mortensen made his directional debut with Fallen in 2020, his movie was a triumph. Even more so because he directed the movie, starred in it, wrote it, and composed the score. With his latest feature, he wants to re-create that success, and he succeeds in that, to a certain degree. While his biggest star, Vicky Krieps, gives a tour-de-force, she can’t prevent the movie from falling into some of the traps attached to the Western genre.
Krieps, who keeps on affirming the greatness of her acting, takes on the role of the charming Vivienne Le Coudy. The French-American flower seller falls head over heels in love with the mysterious Danish carpenter Holger Olsen (Mortensen). They choose to reside in a small, remote, corrupt town in Nevada. That move isn’t only the beginning of a loving, fun and passionate relationship, but also of the stunning cinematography by Marcel Zyskind (As in Heaven, The Killer Inside Me). The scorching heat, the remoteness of the desert, and the…
