Seraphim Falls (2006)

Pierce Brosnan is Gideon, a former Union officer who finds himself hunted as he heads West after the Civil War.

Liam Neeson is Carver, the man on his trail with the help of four trackers.

But Gideon proves far from easy prey, picking off those following him one by one, all the while wondering why he’s being hunted.

One night, he finds out when he encounters Carver in the darkness.

“Sherapim Falls,” Carver says. A knowing look crosses Gideon’s face. Then the hunt continues.

Turns out Gideon was commanding officer when Union cavalry tracked down Carver at his home and set it ablaze. His entire family died in the fire.

So intent on revenge is Carver that he must see Gideon die. He tells his trackers they won’t be paid if they shoot Gideon dead.

They’re only to shoot him in the extremities.

Eventually, the chase is whittled down to two men — the hunter and the hunted.

Pierce Brosnan as Gideon, trying to locate a Confederate officer in Seraphim Falls (2006)

Liam Neeson as Carver, watching his home burn with his wife and infant child inside in Seraphim Falls (2006)

Review:

Stylish, simple tale of revenge in which the viewer doesn’t learn the reason for the hunt until more than an hour into the film. It features fine performance by Brosnan and some of the characters he and Neeson cross paths with during their journey.

But the film seems to lose its way in the desert scenes, when they start imagining/encountering Anjelica Houston as Madame Louise Fair, who does everything short of buying their souls.

The film is also excessively gruesome, from Brosnan plucking a bullet from his own arm to killing trackers with his knife and an animal trap.

Then there’s a scene with his horse that you won’t soon forget. Is that even humanly possible?

Michael Wincott as Hayes, one of Carver’s hired trackers in Seraphim Falls (2006)

Ed Lauter as Parsons, one of Carver’s trackers in Seraphim Falls (2006)

Directed by:
David Von Ancken

Cast:
Liam Neeson … Carver
Pierce Brosnan … Gideon
Michael Wincott … Hayes
Xander Berkeley … Railroad Foreman
Ed Lauter … Parsons
Tom Noonan … Minister Abraham
John Robinson … Kid
Kevin J. O’Connor … Henry
Anjelica Huston … Madame Louise Fair
Angie Harman … Rose

Runtime: 115 min.

Angelica Huston as Madame Louise Fair, offering trades in the middle of the desert in Seraphim Falls (2006)

Wes Studi as Charon, offering words of wisdom in the desolate West in Seraphim Falls (2006)

Memorable lines:

Charlotte to Gideon, after catching him trying to sneak off with her family’s horse: “You’ve been shot. Tryin’ to steal somebody else’s horse, I reckon. Mister, you need to find a new line of work.”

Carver to young boy: “Son, nobody can protect nobody in this world. Sooner you realize that, the better.”

Hayes: “Reckon we ought to camp somewhere else?”
Carver: “Fraid the word of God will spoil your digestion?”
Hayes: “Hmm, never was much for scripture
Carver: “Nothing to fear, Mr. Hayes, it’s just words. Ain’t no God out here.”

Gideon: “I’m afraid ain’t no bottle gonna sort out my troubles.”
Madame Fair: “You men. Always choosin’ a gun over a remedy.”

Pierce Brosnan as Gideon, the pursuit having come to an end in Seraphim Falls (2006)

Liam Neeson as Carver, relentless in his pursuit of revenge against a Union commander in Seraphim Falls (2006)

Shannon Zeller as Charlotte, the young girl who helps Gideon after finding him wounded in Seraphim Falls (2006)

Xander Berkeley as the railroad foreman, running into trouble with Carver in Seraphim Falls (2006)

Angie Harman as Rose, Carver’s wife, watching as Union troops torch her home in Seraphim Falls (2006)

Pierce Brosnan as Gideon with a knife to the throat of Hayes (Michael Wincott) in Seraphim Falls (2006)