SLIFF 2014 Review – THE DARK VALLEY

THE DARK VALLEY screens Friday November 21st at 9:00pm and Saturday November 22nd as part of the St. Louis International Film Festival. Both screenings are at The Plaza Frontenac Theater. Ticket information for the Friday show can be found HERE.
Ticket information for the Saturday show can be found HERE

Review by Dana Jung

It’s probably safe to say that a film genre with a fairly small resume’ is the German Western. Even in the heyday of “spaghetti” westerns in the 1960s and 70s there weren’t many horse operas originating from Germany. And although it utilizes many of the conventions of both classic and post-modern Western cinema, the new film THE DARK VALLEY is a real treat for fans of Western movies looking for something different and memorable.

THE DARK VALLEY begins with the arrival of Greider (Sam Riley) at a small village in the frozen “badlands” of the German-Austrian Alps. This stranger in town is met with suspicion and downright menace by the local townspeople and the ruling clan of the region, the Brenners. However, loaded with photographic equipment and lots of cash, Greider insinuates himself into the village, ostensibly to shoot photos of the people and surrounding scenery. Greider also becomes interested in the plight of pretty local girl Luzi (Paula Beer), who is soon to be married to a local boy. But there is trouble brewing as the wedding day approaches, because the Brenners have perpetuated the primitive feudal custom of allowing the ruling lord (in this case, old man Brenner) to bed the new bride before the groom. Soon, mysterious events occur, raising questions all around. Is something behind the stranger’s interest in Luzi? Is there another dark purpose to the stranger’s visit? Will the Brenner’s brutal hold on the village ever change? Much of the fun in watching THE DARK VALLEY is anticipating the solutions to these mysteries, as told through the filters of the tales of the Old West.

Director Andreas Prochaska immediately captivates us with the stunning vistas of the wide open mountain country. The lone rider set against the backdrop of white snow-covered peaks is both unique and familiar enough to quickly identify the Western motif. The tone is set early of the isolation of the village, and this helps heighten the suspense as the story unfolds. Sam Riley, most recently seen in MALEFICENT, is properly taciturn as the quiet Greider. Other characters help create a picturesque and authentic backdrop composed of the townspeople that live is such harsh conditions.

The new man in town, showdowns, a tragic event in the past which shapes the future—these and other familiar Western themes are common to American films such as SHANE, PALE RIDER, FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE, and ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST, just to name a few. And while THE DARK VALLEY may not be quite in the same league with those classic Westerns, at times one feels that all that’s missing is a Morricone musical score for THE DARK VALLEY to take its place, not only as just a German Western, but as a dark, gritty, and beautifully shot Western in its own right.