FromSergio Leone’s iconicDollars TrilogytoRainer Werner Fassbinder’sWhity, European filmmakers have harbored a longtime fascination with the Western genre since it emerged in the United States shortly after the birth of cinema. Once a layout to glorify bygone days of the American West, many European filmmakers have historically used the Westerns to explore nuanced concepts around the region’s mythical “taming” and settlement. In recent times, European directors have continued to use their outside perspectives to excavate the longstanding lore of the Western genre. Released in 2016, Dutch filmmakerMartin Koolhooven’sBrimstonerevises expected conventions to create a reinvigorated and twisted Eurowestern that begs for a revisit from any fan of the genre.
From the moment the new Reverend climbs the pulpit, Liz knows that she and her family are in great danger.
What Is ‘Brimstone’ About?
Starring the likes ofDakota FanningandGuy Pearce, even featuring a small role played byKit Harington,Brimstoneserves as Koolhooven’s first English-language effort. Divided into four parts named after sections of the Old and New Testaments, including “Exodus” and “Genesis,“Brimstoneunfolds with a complex nonlinear structure that jumps through the life of Liz, played by Fanning. Liz is a wife and mother with a young daughter, a teenage stepson, and a much older husband. In her small but growing community, Liz works as a respected midwife with her daughter’s assistance since she is unable to speak for reasons initially undisclosed. One Sunday at a church service, a mysteriously diabolical new preacher comes into town, known only as the Reverend, who is portrayed by the always watchable Pearce. The Reverend’s sudden appearance triggers a horrific fear in Liz, catalyzed by a gruesomely violent tragedy after the sermon. AsBrimstoneintricately unfolds over its 140-minute runtime, the film entrancingly pieces together Liz’s dark past and its deep connections to the Reverend.
‘Brimstone’ Taps Into the Iconography of the Western Genre
With many methods,Brimstonefunctions as a traditional Western and leans on conventions associated with the genre. Shot throughout the diverse landscapes of Western and Central Europe,far away from the Wild West of America, the movie emphasizes the expansive and unforgiving landscapes that toil against its characters, framing them within natural spaces and accentuating their minimal defenses against Mother Nature. From rugged desert landscapes to wintry frozen forests, the wilderness continuously challenges Liz as she makes her way to ultimate liberation.
Moving from the natural world into human civilization,Brimstonefeatures a typical Western town called Bismuth, filled with excess and outlaws, bordellos and gun fights. This township is like Sodom and Gomorrah, representing the lawless greed and overindulgence lived out by the pioneers hoping to find their fortunes in the American West, vast territories that had been largely untouched by European descendants until that time. Dutch composerTom Holkenborgcontributes greatly to the movie’s sweeping Western sensibilities, utilizing a dynamic and operatic score that strengthensBrimstone’s slow-building narrative tension and foreboding. Although the narrative shape ofBrimstoneis unusual through its chaptered nonlinearity, it holds true to the suspenseful buildup typical of classic Westerns, always pushing toward a conclusivedramatic showdown between the forces of good and evil.
‘Brimstone’ Subverts Conventions of the Western
Like many contemporary Westerns,Koolhoven usesBrimstoneto revise classic visions of the genre, which in the past worked too often to mythologize history with a sense of all-out inaccuracy and glorification. As a result, Koolhoven can present criticisms of the genre’s customs and subvert them through his own creative perspective as a filmmaker. While most Westerns have always featured some form of gunslinging violence –– often placing it on a pedestal of masculine achievement ––Brimstone’sintense utilization of violent acts works to effectively convey the brutality engrained in the westward expansion of America, the extreme force used to settle the region. The film’s blatant depictions of violence may be too jarring for some audiences, yet, the use of violence powerfully drives the director’s intentions in creating a vision of debauchery and cruelty in hisrevisionist Western.
Brimstone’smost fascinating subversions of Western lore are presented through the movie’s interest inthe female perspective. Most commonly overlooked as side characters or male accessories in past ventures into the genre,Brimstoneprioritizes women’s experiences as marginalized figures in the Wild West. Throughout the movie, Liz constantly defies her circumstances in a world controlled by men. Exploited by the perverse mindsets of most of the men surrounding her,Liz strives towards creating a better life for herself and her daughter, away from this outlook of male domination. As Liz, Fanning’s performance brilliantly upholds the character’s feminine energy, creating a strong and silent hero who mirrors conventional Western protagonists in totally unexpected ways.
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The movie’s brazen preoccupation with Christianity not only works to reveal the unethical essence of Manifest Destiny but also strengthens its concepts encircling the immoral repression of women in the American West. The Reverend’s character absolutely believes that women should always be subservient to men, that it’s a God-given responsibility placed upon them. The film focuses on the methods by which men are always quick to demonize or blame women for their detours from social expectations.Brimstone’shandling of spotlighting the neglected perspective of women in the American West may be heavy-handed at times, with certain narrative devices and choices that could polarize some viewers. Still,its devotion to emphasizing the female standpoint is one of the movie’s most innovative and interesting features.
Since first premiering in competition at the 2016Venice Film Festival,Brimstonehas become one of the most unique Eurowesterns of recent years, becoming Koolhooven’s most widely distributed works across the globe. In its native Holland,Brimstonereceived widespread acclaim and awards attention, even though its provocative storytelling has had more divisive reactions from critics and audiences in other parts of the world. Nevertheless,Brimstoneworks as a riveting and daring take on the Western that deserves to be seen by audiences, particularly those who are major fans of the genre and wish to challenge their perspectives on it.
Brimstoneis currently available to stream on Prime Video in the U.S.
