Film Review: Brimstone (2016)

Nostalgists lament many things no longer found in cinemas today, yet few will admit that exploitation films are among them. Cheap low-budget productions that once dominated global cinema repertoires often compensated for their creators’ lack of budget, inspiration, or enthusiasm by readily catering to the basest public appetites—typically through explicit depictions of sex and violence, including content of an undeniably sadistic nature. Today, such films can only sneak into cinemas if they disguise themselves as the antithesis of exploitation films, most commonly as pseudo-politically engaged art dramas. A prime example of such successful camouflage is Brimstone, a Western by Dutch filmmaker Martin Koolhoven, which premiered at the 2016 Venice Film Festival.

The word in the title is commonly used as part of the phrase 'fire and brimstone,' describing hellfire or serving as a metaphor for Hell. For the film’s protagonist, a young woman named Liz (Dakota Fanning), the entire narrative largely amounts to little more than enduring Hell itself. At first, things seem relatively promising, as we meet her as the wife of a significantly older but well-meaning and relatively prosperous farmer in a mountainous settlement in the Wild West. Despite being practically mute, Liz has won the locals’ affection as a skilled midwife. However, matters change when she attends church with her family one day and encounters a new preacher (Guy Pearce), whom she clearly recognises and who fills her with terror. It becomes clear that things will go awry when the preacher strokes a pregnant woman, triggering a premature birth with unimaginably horrific consequences—not only for the woman but also for Liz’s mental health and standing within the community. Yet this is merely the beginning of Liz’s unimaginably gruelling trials, as she and her family become the preacher’s obsession—a man whose malevolent intentions and ability to enact them Liz had long tried to forget from a past she spent years suppressing.

Brimstone is occasionally cited as one of Dutch cinema’s most successful recent achievements, though this accolade is rather dubious, as its festival premiere immediately polarised critics into two extreme camps—those hailing it as an undisputed masterpiece and those branding it one of the worst pieces of celluloid manure. As with many such cases, both sides have valid arguments. Supporters can point to Koolhoven’s directorial skill and outstanding performances, particularly Pearce’s, who clearly relishes portraying arguably the most unsettling character of his career. Meanwhile, the proverbially talented Dakota Fanning excels in a complex role requiring her to remain almost entirely silent throughout. Cinephiles will appreciate the numerous nods to spaghetti western classics such as Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West and Corbucci’s The Great Silence. Koolhoven has also won over snob-oriented critics primarily through its non-linear structure—comprising four chapters, the first three of which unfold in reverse, akin to Nolan’s Memento—allowing viewers to gradually uncover increasingly harrowing and unpleasant details of Liz’s past. Perhaps most crucial for Koolhoven, however, is that the film is marketed as feminist—portraying women as near-exclusive victims of unspeakable degradation, torture, murder, and sexual humiliation, while men are depicted either as abusive scum or ineffectual bumbling fools, forcing Liz to resolve her own predicaments single-handedly.

Those who disliked the film often cite its deeply disturbing content, featuring scenes that would turn even the stomachs of hardened viewers, alongside a disturbing inventiveness in depicting methods of killing, torturing, and maiming. From start to finish, Brimstone, with the exception of a few brothel scenes, maintains an exceptionally dark and serious tone. However, Brimstone’s chief flaw is not that Koolhoven has lost restraint, but that he has lost rhythm and inspiration, rendering certain segments overly protracted. A case in point is the subplot featuring Kit Harington as a young outlaw, laced with black humour that momentarily lightens the mood. Despite his prominent placement on the official poster, the actor appears far more briefly than Game of Thrones fans of Jon Snow might expect. The greatest disappointment, however, lies in the finale, which shifts from a dark yet somewhat plausible narrative into an almost self-parodic 'slasher film,' transforming Liz into a caricatural embodiment of the 'Final Girl' trope characteristic of such endings.

The epilogue, foreshadowed in the prologue, adds further disappointment, including a final enigmatic shot hinting at a sequel in the vein of Friday the 13th. Such a follow-up seems unlikely, though most viewers who endure this film will likely be grateful for its absence.

RATING: 4/10 (++)

(Note: The text in the original Croatian version is available here.)

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