Even while we're recognizing the brooding danger of the man, and defense mechanisms borne of past abuse, Norton gives us so much boyish charm and apparent sincerity, we're not entirely ready to condemn him. We're hooked by the potentials of the character's line. We never quite buy into it, though the actor's wiles suggest a complexity beyond what's in the script.

In writer-director Jacobsen's delineation of a warped range rider, we're mesmerized by how far his crafty anti-hero's pretenses can take us and remain plausible. Harlan's insistence on his good intentions to Wade, who is brought to ordering him off his property and away from his daughter... at gunpoint... is a gem of logic-denial and character audacity. He's a man who has fabricated a belief in his ability to convince an adversary of his fine qualities.

Yet, despite the wide scope of the land, a sincere effort to convey an archetypal feel for the myth and romance of the lone figure in the west, and the generally excellent portrayals, the film takes on as much strangeness as its erratic central figure by virtue of choices in the direction of the drama. In the end, the core idea is weighted down by too much length, strained sympathy, and a conclusion that comes with more relief than satisfaction.

Excerpt from Cinema Signals by The Familiar Cineaste review located HERE

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Theatrical Release: May 13th, 2005 - Cannes Film festival

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DVD Comparison:

 Thinkfilm - Region 1 - NTSC vs. SF Films - Region 0 - PAL

Thanks to Per-Olaf Strandberg for the SF Film captures!

(Thinkfilm - Region 1 - NTSC LEFT vs. SF Films - Region 0 - PAL- RIGHT)