Seraphim Falls explains that hatred is the fuel of revenge. The vast and beautiful expanses of New Mexico are the backdrop for a post-Civil War, western thriller where one event continues the war for two men. Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan play past Confederate and Federal soldiers. The former seeks retribution for an atrocity believed to be entirely the fault of the Union captain. Hired mercenaries accompany the wronged man as he begins his search in high mountain ranges, ultimately ending on the desert floor. Water is symbolic of the life and death struggle: first as the harbinger of death and finally as the giver of life. Strong performances, fine direction, and cinematic beauty compel the viewer toward believing the story as both an act of history and a cautionary tale against a life’s goal of settling scores. Mysterious appearances at the end of the picture suggest one gets what they pay for. A different outcome is optioned throughout Seraphim Falls. Yet, once one drinks from the cup of reprisal, the liquid of abomination fills a man until he knows nothing else. The question left for the audience to ponder is, “Can a man ever give up an obsession with righting wrongs?”
Rated R for violence and some profanity.
The biblical themes of Justice reverberate through movies from the pages of the Old Testament, the realm of study for Dr. Mark Eckel.