THE thirst for revenge can be unquenchable.
 In Seraphim Falls, a protracted chase set in the treacherous mountains and desert of mid-19th Century Nevada, sees two men play out a life or death struggle for survival. The Civil War may have ended, but there is fresh blood to be spilt in the snow-laden Ruby Mountains. Confederate Colonel Morsman Carver (Neeson) and his trigger-happy posse are hunting a most elusive creature – Union Captain Gideon (Brosnan). Vastly outnumbered, Gideon uses stealth and cunning to elude his pursuers. Carver and his associates soon catch up, though, and Gideon is wounded in the crossfire. “He ain’t goin’ nowhere. We let him bleed,” growls Carver, who has very good reason to want Gideon dead. Staggering onwards, Gideon seeks help from a terrified family, a wagon train of God-fearing folk and an alluring saleswoman, Madame Louise (Huston). Yet still Carver and his men continue to mercilessly hunt Gideon down. “Why are you doing this?” asks Gideon. “Seraphim Falls,” replies Carver. The shocking events, which bind hunter and prey, and spark the relentless and bloodthirsty pursuit, only come into focus during a final, horrific flashback, which radically alters our perception of the characters. Death can be the only resolution, but writer-director David Von Ancken and co-writer Abby Everett Jaques keep us guessing who will take a bullet right up to the closing frame, by which time rage and guilt have gnawed away at the protagonists’ tortured souls. Director of photography John Toll fills the screen with breathtaking images, the bitter chill of picturesque woods shrouded in snow contrasting with the rippling heat of a barren desert, where Gideon’s inspired plan to avoid dehydration provides an unexpected jump-out-of-your-seat moment late into the film. Verdict: Director Von Ancken, making his feature film debut after a distinguished career on various hit television series, creates tension in the opening hour with some dramatic and gory set pieces. However, the film drags its spurs badly in the second hour, shuffling and stumbling like the exhausted Gideon and Carver to a climactic showdown. Gideon remains a blank canvas throughout, but Brosnan is far more compelling. An interesting and compelling, but flawed western. | 
