Life in the Old West was anything but easy, and many classic Hollywood flicks of the western genre paint an explicit picture of this. Fresh out of the indie horror genre with the films 'The Innkeepers' and 'V/H/S' under his belt, director Ti West explores the western genre in this violent revenge thriller set in the depths of Wild West Texas. Tapping in on homages to the old western genre from the Golden Age of Hollywood, this historical fiction piece places two-time Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke in the dark corners of a vicious revenge plot against a league of evil doers who wrong him -- and it gets pretty bloody. But by the end, Ti West proves himself more than capable to delivering pure grittiness and wit to the slowly fading genre. Set somewhere in the 1800s, the film stars Ethan Hawke as Paul, a lone drifter sprawling across the Texan wilderness with his dog Abbie hoping to make across the border to Mexico. As he makes his way through the old town of Denton, he meets 16-year old innkeeper Mary-Anne (played by Taissa Farmiga) who makes for a good acquaintance. He also comes face-to-face with ruthless deputy Gilly Martin (played by James Ransome) who happens to be the son of the town's sheriff Clyde Martin (played by John Travolta) and boyfriend of Mary-Anne's sister Ellen (played by Karen Gillan) -- and he's not a very nice guy. On that fateful night, Gilly and his monstrous three brothers attack Paul, kill his dog, and leave him for dead. Upon miraculously surviving their attack, Paul sets out on a quest for vengeance.
As the title suggests, things get pretty mess and director Ti West does little to sugarcoat the brutality of the man vs. man conflict. Though the plot is nothing particularly original nor does it rise to the level of a sprawling epic, it is greatly empowered by a sucker punch of a script that proves how well Ti West appropriately comprehends the genre. From the opening credits playing in the style of an old 1960s western B movie, to the vintage-style cinematography; the influence of Sergio Leone's classic western film series definitely bleeds through. But the main diamond in the film is the plot which follows lead character played by Ethan Hawke on a brutal quest for revenge against a quartet of morally depraved individuals. And at a fairly solid pace, the film takes its time to develop both the lead character and the antagonist while building up to it's bloody and emotionally jarring showdown that packs just enough thrills and bloodshed to leave the sensitize hearted viewers squirming. Yes, the entire sequence is quite gritty, but Ti West manages to operate the sequence in a fashion that's more realistic than gratuitous Beyond from the nifty cinematography, the biggest star here is Ethan Hawke who exercises his role with pure grit and humanity that makes him truly believable. Predictably so, he is no John Wayne or Clint Eastwood here, but his performance safely stands out. James Ransome delivers a brooding portrayal as the shady deputy who's heart on the wrong side of the moral compass, and the writing plays him out as a villain who is though is devoured with demons, carries a sense of humanity. Young actress Taissa Farmiga, John Travolta, and Karen Gillan all take advantage for their time to shine, but perhaps nothing special beyond performances that provoke a good thumbs up.
In a Valley of Violence is brutal, but riveting western piece that proves itself more than worthy as an astounding entry in the western genre. While this film may not rise up the hierarchy of classic or modern day westerns, it is certainly gripping from start to finish. In a short summary, it is a fascinating one.
