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'The Salvation': For western fans, watching this movie is like encountering an old friend

( R ) ( Monitor Movie Guide )

The movie is a welcome addition to the western genre and our familiarity with the film’s sources, especially 'High Noon,' work in its favor.

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Courtesy of IFC Films
Jeffrey Dean Morgan in, 'The Salvation.'
  • By Peter Rainer Film critic

Hollywood doesn’t make many westerns anymore but that hasn’t stopped filmmakers overseas from taking up some of the slack. A welcome addition to the fold is Kristian Levring’s “The Salvation,” a Danish entry starring Mads Mikkelsen and Eva Green, shot in English and filmed mostly in South Africa.

With all this cross-pollination going on, the film itself, about a former Danish soldier (Mikkelsen) in America who avenges the murder of his wife and son, is practically a compendium of genre tropes. Our familiarity with the film’s sources, especially “High Noon,” work in its favor. For western fans, watching this movie is like encountering an old friend after a long absence. Grade: B (Rated R for violence throughout.)

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