Author:jherman-5 from United States 2 February 2007
This is an excellent western - with two great stars that show grit and go beyond their usual work. The photography is stunning and the story is meant to make you think - not pander to the usual formulaic plot. The first 30 minutes will make your hair stand up and the rest will keep you going - definitely a must see. Pay attention to the cameos at the end. They have gone about the heads of some reviewers, but really bring a sense of classical reference to the story. War has been a societal issue since ancient Greece, and perhaps we have not yet learned the lessons that need to be learned.Kudos to the director who has brought together story, talent, and visual art in one epic piece.
Written by Abby Everett Jaques and David Von Ancken and directed by Von Ancken, "Seraphim Falls" is a rough, tough, old-fashioned western set on the dusty plains and snow-covered mountains of western Nevada. The plot is little more than a straightforward revenge tale involving Liam Neeson (sans Southern accent) as a sadistic Rebel army colonel who hires a posse to track down the marauding Union officer he believes slaughtered his family in the days following the Civil War. The officer, played with steely-eyed determination by Pierce Brosnan, is a savvy, quick-on-the-draw survivalist who, through sheer ingenuity and skill, stymies and outwits the colonel and his men at every turn.
What "Seraphim Falls" lacks in substance, it more than makes up for in grit and style. For even though there isn't a great deal of depth to the characters, there's much pleasure to be derived from merely watching two actors of the caliber of Neeson and Brosnan squaring off in a grueling game of cat-and-mouse played out in a punishing, unforgiving landscape. Brosnan's character achieves an almost Superman-like quality as he stays one step ahead of his pursuers, devising ever-more elaborate means of ensnaring them in his traps. The movie takes a decidedly metaphysical turn in its closing stretches, with the divine Anjelica Huston, no less, appearing out of nowhere as a desert apparition to set the boys straight on a few eternal verities like redemption and forgiveness. But it is as a simple tale of vengeance and obsession that "Seraphim Falls" most captures our imagination and interest.
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It's a hunt movie, in the genre of Jeremiah Johnson or The Searchers type. Not gripping,then isn't supposed to be, but contained enough excitement and adventure to keep me fully engrossed. I thought Pierce Brosnan was excellent, almost unrecognizable with his beard and make up; poles apart from Bond. He really looks and plays his character as the quarry very well indeed. The locations photography, New Mexico and Oregon, are stunning. Liam Neeson never seems to give a bad performance plays his character well as the cold hearted, totally obsessed predator, He is well supported by a bunch of bounty hunters/villains lead by Michael Wincott.
SERAPHIM FALLS is an odd film, one that on the surface appears to be an homage to the old Westerns, but proves to be a psychological battle for survival between two men engulfed in revenge. There is very little story to relate: Carver (Liam Neeson) with a small posse of bounty hunters (Michael Wincott, Ed Lauter, John Robinson and Robert Baker) treks Gideon (Pierce Brosnan) through snow, forests, mountains, rough water, and desert over a Civil Ear seed of hate. The 'story' fades to a philosophical stance (somewhat clumsily) by the intervention of some ghostly creatures (Anjelica Huston, et al) and ends without much more than a whisper of a memory about the futility of revenge.
Bronson and Neeson do well with their scant dialogue, revealing more of their character's minds with physical action and the power of facial expressions. The mood of the film is in the superior hands of cinematographer John Toll and Harry Gregson-Williams' musical score. Director David Von Ancken keeps the tension at peak level even though the film is desperately in need of editing (just under tow long hours in length). But for a diversion and an appreciation for the wilderness of America in the mid-nineteenth century, SERAPHIM FALLS is a visually satisfying experience. Grady Harp
I rented this film without ever hearing of it before, and was pleasantly surprised...something which is becoming more and more rare in my movie renting experience.This gritty, untypical western appealed to me on a number of different levels. The unusual casting of Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan intrigued me, their film presence was an enhancement without being a distraction to the film. The story was complex and minimalist at the same time, sometimes combining ultra-real and surreal elements. The cinematography is straightforward and beautiful, and a welcome relief from the jiggly camera technique, colorization, and other "contemporary" gimmicks that all too often nowadays cause technique and style to become a major distraction with the story being told. Thank goodness there are still directors that believe in having movies being filmed this way!
While the story grabs your attention from the very beginning and moves quickly, it takes its time in revealing who the characters are, and what are their motivations and the demons they are dealing with.If you watch this with a preconceived notion of what a western should be,à la John Ford, Howard Hawks, etc. you may be disappointed as some reviewers here obviously have been. I myself found this intelligent western - that is a little offbeat, with an element of mystery, and not always clearly defined bad guys and good guys - a refreshing change of pace from the racks of slasher film sequels, lame comedies, and Jennifer Aniston vehicles at the video store.
*
An epic film with heart stopping action.
Author:(evonancken) from United States 1 February 2007
A film of epic dimensions magnificently filmed in the grand Western tradition, Seraphim Falls combines breathtaking action with fine acting by Pierce Brosnan and Liam Neeson. Both have taken on roles far from their usual fare and have achieved a level of performance rarely seen. Anjelica Huston, in a cameo role, provides the devilish key to this tale of pursuit and revenge. Director/Screenwriter, David VonAncken, updates the historical American Western with his spare dialog and continual action. The glorious scenery of the West adds another dimension to this full bodied work. Shot in New Mexico and Oregon, under grueling conditions, Seraphim Falls is a must see for those who love the Western genre and long for a great story excitingly transferred to the screen.
*
Author:movieman_kev from United States 24 May 2007
Liam Neeson as Carver is hunting Gideon (Pierce Brosnan) through the wilderness of the old west, in this minimalistic western that takes place a little after the Civil War. Very well acted by all involved, and I found myself enjoying it quite a lot. At 2 hours, the film hardly feels it and is seems like a fast watch, never wearing out it's welcome (although coming close to it around the end due to the cameos of Angela Huston and Wes Studi, both parts felt forced and didn't jibe with the film in any way) Aside from that, if you're a fan of the Western genre, you'll find much to enjoy in this one. It's probably the best we've had in a good decade or so. To say Writer/ Director Ancken hit his stride here wouldn't be the right word (I've yet to see his short "Bullet in the Brain", but hear it's excellent), but it IS the film that really made me take notice of his talent and I strongly await whatever he has up his sleeve next.My Grade: A
*
Perfect
Author:Hugo Pagan from Dominican Republic 22 May 2007
With this film you have to take your hat of for Mr. Brosnan he is great in his acting, This is a movie that will remain as one of the greatest western films of all times and some sequences of this film will be remembered for ever I will not tell anything but if you see it(and you must) you will remember this.It is beautifully shot and has a solid script, great action and deep emotions mixed along the way. If you like western you will not be disappointed.
When you watch Seraphim Falls you will have your emotions mixed as the movie develops and when the fantastic finale arrives you will be even more pleased. It has one of the mos original showdown finale I have ever seen.This movie is a must see! (ah ouais ? ben pourquoi ne lui mettre que 7/10 et en plus le résumer comme "Perfect"??!)
Watched this excellent western on a Sunday morning, not knowing more about the film that it was a western - a man being hunted by another and that there was a grudge from the past between them. I always loved a good western movie, stories are usually kept simple, and so is this one. That however doesn't keep it from being a brilliant movie, beautifully shot and with the right cast. Since i didn't know who was starring, it took me all the way to the end before i realized that the leading part was played by no other than Pierce Brosnan, who once again proves to be a top of the line actor who can play a very wide variety of roles - from James Bond to this. If you ever liked watching a good western this is a must, all the way up there with the other nine best western movies of all times!//Tobey
Un véritable grand rôle de composition pour Pierce Brosnan,
si l'on pense aux rôles de James Bond
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The Flick philosopher by Maryann Johanson
There’s not a lick of dialogue for maybe the first 15 minutes of this daring action Western... unless moans of pain count as dialogue. Liam Neeson (Batman Begins) is hunting Pearce Brosnan through the rugged mountain West just after the Civil War -- and gets a good shot off that lands in the prey’s shoulder, necessitating a rather grisly moment of getting that slug dug out of meaty flesh with a bowie knife. Yikes. It’s all thrillingly cinematic, this bare and spare chase movie that holds off on explanations and motives for a loooong time and just revels in the power of the image and the pacing and the relentlessness of its forward momentum.
And even the disconcerting shift into the mystical it takes in the final act,after hewing so roughly and authentically to earthy reality,is exhilarating,stripping an already frugal film down to its component parts, narrowing our field of vision down to two men bereft of everything except one gun, one bullet, and the unbridgeable bitterness between them. Writer (with Abby Everett Jaques)/director David Von Ancken moves his characters, and us, beyond the realm of reason and into one of pure, driving feeling.
Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan both said they had the most fun in their career making this film, since they both loved westerns as kids and were thrilled to be finally getting a chance to be in one.
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Richard Gere was originally cast as Gideon, but dropped out three weeks before shooting to do The Flock (2007). Pierce Brosnan was then offered the role and immediately accepted.
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In theology the name Seraphim refers to a type of angel. Therefore, one could conclude the 2 main characters are angels that have fallen from grace. They battle eachother from the mountain tops (Heaven) to the hot desert (Hell).
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Despite the fact that Pierce Brosnan is onscreen for most of the first 15 minutes of the movie, he doesn't speak his first word until 13:15, just grunts, groans and screams of pain.
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Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan are both Irishmen who play Americans. Xander Berkeley is are American who plays an Irishman.
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The sunset shown about 47 minutes into the film, when Gideon descends the mountain, was also featured in the final shot of The Astronaut Farmer (2006). Both films were in production in New Mexico at the same time, albeit many miles apart.
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Colonel Carver's rifle in the film is an iron-framed Henry 1860, which indicates that it was one of the first 400 built before the more familiar brass was added in late 1862.
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Both lead actors Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan are Irish, yet portray American foes in this film.
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Had a 45-day shoot.
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Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan are Irish actors. Angelica Huston also lived in Ireland for a lot of her youth and holds Irish citizenship to this day
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Spoilers
The trivia item below may give away important plot points.
The key to Anjelica Huston's role can be found on the back of her wagon. It isn't on screen very long, but the name of her character - as painted on the back of her wagon - explains who she is and what she's doing there: Louise C. Fair (Lucifer). Furthermore, her product 'cleanses the blood' and 'exonerates the bowels' (the scourching desert represents Purgatory, where according to Christian tradition, the sins are burned away).
À Londres, un nègre littéraire (écrivain privé, en anglais ghostwriter ou ghost) à succès est engagé pour terminer les mémoires d'Adam Lang, ancien Premier ministre britannique. Mais dès le début de leur collaboration, le projet semble périlleux car le prédécesseur du nègre de Lang est décédé « accidentellement », probablement après être tombé d'un ferry. Le nègre prend l'avion pour travailler sur le projet, au milieu de l'hiver, dans une maison au bord de l'océan sur l'île de Martha's Vineyard, située au large des côtes de la Nouvelle-Angleterre.
Mais le jour même de son arrivée, un ancien ministre du cabinet Lang accuse celui-ci de complicité de crimes de guerre pour avoir autorisé l'arrestation illégale de terroristes présumés et de les avoir livrés à la CIA qui les aurait soumis à la torture. La controverse ameute des journalistes et des manifestants sur l'île où réside Lang, sa femme Ruth et son assistante (et maîtresse) Amelia. Au cours de son travail, le nègre découvre des indices laissant entendre que son prédécesseur aurait mis au jour la liaison de Lang à la CIA et au complexe militaro-industriel.
Contextualisation
Le film, traité comme un film policier, est surtout une parabole politique, étroitement articulée à l'actualité. On n'a en effet aucune peine à reconnaître en Lang — dont un de ses collègues fait observer qu'il n'a jamais pris une seule mesure susceptible de déplaire aux États-Unis — la figure de Tony Blair, premier ministre britannique au moment de la guerre en Irak. De multiples détails le prouvent. L'un d'eux est la présence répétée du panneau liar (menteur) chez les manifestants anti-Lang : on sait que les manifestants anti-Blair se plaisaient à écrire son nom sous la forme de l'anagramme Tony B. Liar. De même, l'entreprise d'armements qui prête significativement un jet privé à Lang porte un nom qui est presque l'homonyme de la multinationale Halliburton, un des principaux fournisseurs de l'armée américaine, soupçonnée de maintes accointances avec le monde politique. Le film apparaît donc au total comme une charge contre l'impérialisme américain et la docilité des gouvernants européens[1].
À l'origine, Roman Polanski voulait adapter un autre roman de Robert Harris, Pompéi. Le studio Summit Entertainment est ensuite attaché au projet, qui est officiellement annoncé au Festival de Cannes 2007. Malgré cela, le film ne voit pas le jour. Robert Harris envoie alors son roman L'Homme de l'ombre à Polanski, alors que le livre n'est même pas encore publié. Le réalisateur est immédiatement séduit et décide de l'adapter sur grand écran, avec Robert Harris lui-même comme coscénariste[4].
« Notre méthode a consisté à écrire un premier jet, en nous inspirant des scènes et de la structure du livre, puis à le reprendre et à le retravailler sans hésiter, en supprimant des passages entiers et en essayant d'améliorer le rythme. Ce qui m'a frappé en travaillant avec Roman, c'est que j'ai eu le sentiment de réécrire mon livre. Certains éléments dans le film sont plus réussis que dans le roman. Le script est plus percutant. Si le film est plus fort que le livre, c'est entre autres parce qu'on ne quitte jamais cet univers de bord de mer, et cette atmosphère de ports et de plages à l'abandon[4]. »
— Robert Harris
Casting
Au début du lancement du projet, Nicolas Cage et Tilda Swinton y sont associés[5]. Mais Kim Cattrall remplace ensuite Tilda Swinton dans le rôle de l'assistante de Lang[5].
Nicolas Cage quant à lui doit tenir le rôle principal du nègre littéraire, mais décline l'offre en raison d'un problème d'emploi du temps, Benjamin Gates 3, devant se tourner en janvier 2009[5]. C'est Ewan McGregor qui reprend le rôle du nègre, dont le nom n'est jamais prononcé dans le film. Pour l'acteur, c'est un honneur de travailler avec Roman Polanski :
« Je m'attendais à ce qu'il me pousse à me surpasser, et c'est d'ailleurs ce que je souhaitais. Il donne toujours aux comédiens des commentaires inattendus qui les aident à incarner leurs personnages. Il vous fournit énormément de détails sur le rôle et vous explique quel regard vous devez porter sur le monde autour de vous, comment vous êtes censé vous déplacer, et à quoi ressemblent les décors. Je crois que c'est grâce à son sens du détail que les situations sont aussi vraisemblables[4]. »
— Ewan McGregor
Pierce Brosnan incarne quant à lui Adam Lang, l'ancien Premier ministre britannique. Ce personnage rappelle à de nombreux égards Tony Blair, quoique l'auteur nie formellement s'en être inspiré, puisque l'idée du scénario lui serait venue bien avant l'élection de Blair :
« Cela fait plusieurs années que j'ai le projet de L'Homme de l'ombre. Cela remonte sans doute à une quinzaine d'années avant que Tony Blair ne devienne Premier ministre. Ce qui m'intéressait vraiment, c'était l'idée d'un mensonge imaginé par un ancien dirigeant politique face à un homme censé rédiger ses mémoires[4]. »
— Robert Harris
Autre forte présence dans le film, celle d'Eli Wallach, 93 ans à l'époque du tournage, dans le rôle du vieil homme sur l'île de Martha's Vineyard.
Dans le film, on peut apercevoir pour la première fois au cinéma le Boeing 787 (en image de synthèse, aux couleurs de la compagnie Virgin Atlantic). Les trucages sont également mis à profit pour simuler l'immense baie vitrée offrant une vue sur la mer dans la maison de Lang : en effet, une vraie baie vitrée aurait donné une luminosité beaucoup trop irrégulière pendant le tournage.
Certaines des toiles qui ornent la résidence de Lang ont été peintes par le peintre et cinéaste Jerzy Skolimowski, scénariste du Couteau dans l'eau que Polanski a rencontré pendant ses études de cinéma[7].
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