Film “The Dead Don’t Hurt”: “Forgiveness is more important than revenge”

After the westerns “Appaloosa” (2008) and “Hidalgo” (2004), you not only get on the horse, but also in the director’s chair. Was it clear from the start that you wanted to make “The Dead Don’t Hurt” a Western, or did you also think about setting the story in a different time?

No, I had an image in my head of a strong, independent woman. Setting them in the 19th century on the western frontier in a place ruled by men who are violent and corrupt was interesting to me. Vivienne’s traits are based on my mother. Like Vivienne, she was a normal woman, a mother and housewife with strong ideas and a very independent way of thinking.

Were you particularly drawn to the simple setting of a Western setting after your emotionally strong directorial debut “Falling” (2020)?

Perhaps. With a good western it is like with any good film. Often what you don’t show is just as important as what you don’t say. Visually, I really wanted to shoot a classic but good western, where the details were historically accurate and that reflected the times both ethnically and linguistically. As a storyteller, you don’t want to promote a myth about the United States that is simply false. Also, no one is perfect, brave all the time and hitting the target every time.

Can you name any specific Westerns that were important to you when preparing the film?

I watched hundreds of Westerns in the years it took me to raise the money for it. Most are terrible because they are not well photographed, directed or acted. But I was able to use some of that too. Old silent film Westerns in particular are so close to the times they describe. It was mostly about details. I sent Solly McLeod (as villain Weston Jeffries) probably 60 films as examples, including famous westerns like “In Bad Company” (1972), “Panic on the Red River” (1948) or “Ride to the Ox-Bow” (1943). . The email often said, “This isn’t a very good movie, but look at this or that particular scene and the way the guy walks toward his horse, the way he moves, or the way he holds his gun.” That I also did the same with the production design and the costume design.

»The Dead Don’t Hurt is not a typical western about revenge and retribution. By placing the woman at the center of the story, the drama overcomes typical clichés. Her character is not a stereotype either…

Well, that would be too simple for me and I would also find it boring. I wanted to stay true to the classic western, but change the structure of the story within it. Having an ordinary woman as the main character is rather unusual. When the man (Holger Olsen, played by Viggo Mortensen) goes to war, you usually always go with him. I was curious to see what happened to the woman (Vicky Krieps). Since I hadn’t seen a story like this before, I thought: Then we’ll just have to do it ourselves. I wanted to tell a love story where forgiveness is more important than revenge and always having the last word.

That also says something about our time…

In a way. This is the case with any film story that is well written and well acted. When the characters seem real because they have real problems and differences of opinion, then you compare them to yourself and your own family, your own city and the society in which you live and politics. When they see the film, it is a different film for them because they associate their own lives with it.

How did you go about casting?

When I wrote the film, I wasn’t thinking about anyone in particular. I cast Vicky because I wanted to find the actress for Vivienne first. She has a strong presence, radiates inner strength and can convey feelings even when playing quietly. From her appearance and physicality, she could have lived in a different time. You could also see this clearly in “Corsage” (2022). The actor who was supposed to play Olsen dropped out after a few months and everyone else was unavailable. We were running out of time. I had to quickly find someone the production would agree with. I then suggested playing the role myself. Vicky also liked the idea because she thought there was something of me in the role.

How did that change history?

If you want to keep going, you have to get comfortable with the obstacle and find out what’s good about it. Since I took on the role, I played with and addressed the fact that Olsen is older and made him Danish. I knew how his English should sound and changed small details about his behavior that perhaps only the Danish audience would notice. For me, the more specific you are, the more universal the story is.

A knight appears in Vivienne’s visions. Can you tell us something about it?

The first time the knight rides through the forest, they don’t see his face. As the story continues, Vivienne’s mother reads out “Joan of Arc” and you might think you recognize Joan of Arc. Maybe she is, maybe not. Later, when Vivienne grows up, the knight’s face and voice are a combination of people who were or are important to her: her father, Weston, who is recognized by his new wound, and Olsen. The last time the knight rides through the forest, Vivienne says in the scene: “I don’t need anyone to save me.” That’s why we see a different person again.

In the knight scenes there is a hidden allusion to your role as Aragorn in “The Lord of the Rings”…

This came about by chance when we were designing the knight. We had the costume, the armor and a really great horse, but we were still missing a medieval sword. I was shown different swords. I didn’t really like any of them. I showed the team a photo of the sword I carry in Lord of the Rings so they would have an idea of ​​what I was looking for. They then asked me, “Can’t we just use this sword?” So I called Peter Jackson. Ultimately the production company gave us permission, but many people won’t even notice.

»The Dead Don’t Hurt«: USA, Mexico 2023. Directed and written by Viggo Mortensen. With: Vicky Krieps, Solly McLeod, Viggo Mortensen. 129 minutes, start: 8.8.