Viggo Mortensen wrote and directed this Western drama that is filled with recognizable Western tropes but Moternsen neither completely rejects them nor subverts them, he simply uses them to fill out his story about an immigrant couple that finds themselves living and loving on the edge of a corrupt Nevada town in the 1860s.

The steadily-paced narrative slides back and forth in time as the film introduces French-Canadian Vivienne (Vicky Krieps) an independent woman who begins a romantic relationship with a Danish carpenter, Olsen (Mortensen). We follow their relationship, Vivienne is strong-willed and ready to stand for what she believes, and Olsen feels that he must do his part in the oncoming Civil War.

In their time apart, the film focuses solely on Vivienne and Krieps brings her to vivid life, as she attempts to earn a living working in a local bar that is partially owned by the corrupt Alfred (Garrett Dillahunt) and his violent son, Weston (Solly McLeod).

Neither member of the couple is prepared for the changes the small town will wreak on them, and they are unsure if they are going to survive them all, but what Mortensen does is paint gorgeous images with the camera in this character piece that lets Krieps shine.

She’s a strong, determined woman in a time when those things weren’t admired, and the couple may pay the price for it in the long run, but where the film really succeeds is filling the tale out with the couple’s romance, their interactions, and the joy and love they bring one another.

It’s very obvious that Mortensen loves the genre, and I hope he continues to explore it, and brings more empowered characters to the screen.

And without letting on how much of a film geek I am, there’s a recurring sequence that Vivienne dreams of involving a knight, and that knight has a very familiar sword (Anduril) strapped to his horse’s side.

The Dead Don’t Hurt screens Sunday 10, Thursday 14, and Friday 15 September all at Scotiabank Theatre. You can get tickets, find showtimes, other events and more here.