After a band of inbred cannibals abducts his wife from a sleepy town on the Wild West frontier, an injured man joins a rag tag posse as it mounts a rescue mission in the wilderness.
Hmmm. Very watchable, but so confused. Opening scene has a vicious slaughter that promises extreme horror. Then we're introduced to the townsfolk, but the dialogue is self-consciously formal - although without pompous speeches to slow the pace - and yet the characters are endearing and well played by the actors. But still there's an overall feel of prejudice and that what we're seeing is a cartoon story that doesn't bother with credible motivations. I dunno - guess I'll have to watch it again and see if it settles in for me.
Huge run time, and it's obvious that although nobody talks at length many scenes could have been tightened up without losing the charm of the dialogue. Many implausibilities - why was the wife abducted, why is the journey five days, why is the hero carrying such a serious injury so impossibly, why is the cannibal chewing on an uncooked leg like a chicken drumstick? The big problem is there's hardly any myth created for the baddies, and when we get to them they're almost as simplistic as those mud people who used to emerge from the walls in the old Flash Gordon TV episodes. There's an interesting plot point to do with two pregnant women, but it passes by almost without comment. At that point the dialogue has lost its charm and the actors are having trouble finishing the story with conviction.
Another oddity is the music. It plays over the intro credits, then ... nothing until a short burst of sorrowful violin at 45 mins, then ... nothing until the end credits. And what we get is a strange song written/performed by the director/writer that plainly presents a bit of propaganda for pre-enlightenment virtue v savagery. Add in the earnest nod to Christianity and the animal portrayal of the baddies (including the ancient slur about troglodytes), and it leaves a bad taste.
At least the disembowelling is good, but that and the opening slaughter were the only bits of horror for me.
Overall, interesting characters well performed, but needed to be clear about the threat.
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