Blu-ray Review: ‘The Dead Don’t Hurt’ – A Western Starring Viggo Mortensen

Multihyphenate Viggo Mortensen wears a lot of hats in his stately Western, The Dead Don’t Hurt. Not only does Mortensen star, he also wrote the screenplay, directed the film, and even composed the score (he pulled off the same feat in his directorial debut, Falling, in 2020).

The look of the film is beautiful, with locations in Canada and Mexico standing in for the American Southwest (cinematography by Marcel Zyskind). At a leisurely 129 minutes, there’s plenty of time to linger on the pristine, rugged scenery.

Though punctuated by occasional violent outbursts, The Dead Don’t Hurt is a character piece. Its slow pace and focus on quiet performances evoke Robert Altman’s McCabe & Mrs. Miller.

Mortensen approaches his story from a nonlinear standpoint. From the opening scene, we know that the intense, reserved Danish immigrant Holger Olsen (Mortensen) has experienced the loss of his significant other, Vivienne (Vicky Krieps). The story that leads up to the moment of her passing unfolds in a back-and-forth fashion.

Nonlinear storytelling requires absolute confidence in the narrative decisions being made. Admittedly, for all its strengths, The Dead Don’t Hurt might’ve benefitted from a more straightforward approach (with Vivienne’s death framing the story). As Holger and Vivienne’s relationship is explored, including a lengthy separation when Holger ventures off to fight for the Union in the Civil War, there are plenty of effective scenes. But plot development is a bit on the lean side. The nonlinear timeline ends up feeling like a cover for the lack of plot points.

In fact, the length of the movie feels indulgent, in general, given its relatively thin story.All things considered, on the plus side The Dead Don’t Hurt remains a thoughtful, sensitive exploration of a relationship tested by downright horrific circumstances. It’s a movie of intimate moments, of which there are many worth experiencing in Vicky Krieps’ affecting performance. Vivienne is put through the unthinkable, and at a time in U.S. history when there were not many advocating for women’s rights. Krieps’ vivid portrayal of a woman standing strong while facing adversity balances out the feeling that the movie might’ve benefited from tighter pacing.

Now available on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory, this edition includes an extensive interview with Mortensen plus a near-feature-length production documentary for those interested in learning more about The Dead Don’t Hurt.