A Prayer for the Dying

Patr0ck2.5

It's 1870 in a small town in Wisconsin and the people are struggling with the influx of Scandinavian immigrants and the complicated feelings of a post civil war America. There are foreboding feelings of doom on the horizon as the Sheriff is informed of a dead body that's been found. When the town doctor takes a look, immediately he becomes concerned about illness that could infect the town. Quickly, more people are sick and things get worse in town as fingers start pointing at who might be the cause. That's not the only danger out there though, as a raging wildfire can also be seen in the distance.First time writer and director Dara Van Dusen builds this uncomfortable tension throughout the film as things just get worse and worse. The camera moves through scenes like a witness, with long shots and uncomfortable movements. The cinematography is attractive, with it's old west buildings and gritty, dirty look of the people and town. In many ways, this film reminds me of Kelly Reichardt's work with it's slower pace and period setting, but I didn't connect to the characters in the same way that I do with Reichardts's work. The film effectively builds this oppressive sense of doom but it's not doing a lot more beyond that.

shookone2.5

for the longest time Dara Van Dusen's neo-western looks like a commentary on the current state of science vs religion, particularly in this beautiful country over the big pond. you're able to indulge in blood, sweat and extremely dirty clothing in the USA of 1870 and the depiction lands and fascinates. ultimately this ends up in a rather heavily forced upon surrealistic dystopia though, which is both bold and foolhardy. whatever this was when it started out, everything is left behind once it reaches the finishing line, that literally burns all that was there down. Kate McCollough does a good job creating an intense imagery, although the heavy use of CGI is at least questionable. while most of the audience checked out by then, I did dig that final image though. "hell" of a job. meanwhile John C. Reilly can't save the missing tenderness from most actors. who are these people? I guess we'll never know. and how did they create a lead role for Ben Foster and then didn't get him on board?postscriptum are they aware that they choose the same title like that Rourke-blaster from the late 80s?postscriptum IIgreat job by the cinema staff to let a walkie talkie on, asking for loading the dishwasher while a moment of silence in the literally only emotionally affecting scene was playing out. that the audience was laughing it off instead of being angry unfortunately shows the poor reception the film received here.

ida 🪰3.0

the coughing in the theater really set the mood