Blue Ruin came out in 2013 was easily one of my favourite films of the year. This review was originally posted at Filmoria.
Jeremy
Saulnier is a name you better get used to. Writer, director and photographer of
the brilliant indie revenge thriller Blue Ruin, he will need to watch his back
if he carries on like this. Everyone will be after him and his considerable
talent and there are bound to be a few directors jealous enough of his skills
to try and take him out themselves. For that matter, the magnificently bearded
lead Macon Blair is also a serious talent to watch.
Blue Ruin
is the story of Dwight (Macon Blair), a homeless drifter who takes baths in
empty houses, sleeps in his car and gets food from anywhere he can. Dwight is
the silent type; his mouth seemingly lost beneath his impressively overgrown
beard. When he finds out that Wade Cleland, the man responsible for the murder
of his parents has been released from prison, Dwight immediately swings into
action, carrying out his burning desire for revenge. However, killing Wade may
only be the beginning of Dwight's one man rampage of revenge.
Because unfortunately for him, Dwight is no
Rambo. He hasn't got the skills, the savagery or the insanity to just
pick off bad guys left, right and centre. He is clumsy and clearly crap at all
this killing stuff. Though he is committed to his cause and clever enough to
carry it out with the possibility of getting away with it, he is also just an
ordinary guy. His early mishaps with a knife show his worrying lack of prowess
in the weapon-wielding department and it makes him believable, sympathetic and
impossible not to root for.
Blue Ruin starts
off like a deceptively typical indie movie; all intriguing close ups with
shallow depth of field and bereft of dialogue for most of the first half hour.
The composition of early shots are gorgeous with the camera later prowling
around the dark locations building an unbearable silent tension. The subtle
score exacerbates this, brooding in the background and anticipating the
violence. Suddenly and viciously, Blue Ruin becomes a black comedy and edge-of-your-seat thriller.
And when it
comes, the first murder is brutal, bloody and swift. The first act of the film
ends where most revenge thrillers would finish but Blue Ruin has plenty more in
store. The exact details of the murder that has spurred this mission are
deliciously drip fed through sparse bursts of dialogue, punctuating the scenes
of silent Dwight stalking. After he seems to have succeeded in his goal, it
suddenly and frantically becomes clear that what started out simple has just
become far more complex as Dwight has ignited a terrifyingly dangerous family
feud.
From
revenge thriller to home invasion movie and back again, Blue Ruin is never less
than absolutely thrilling. As Dwight rolls around in his old battered car, he
beautifully blurs the lines between victim and predator. Though he is a man of
very few words, he is impossible to take your eyes off. Macon Blair is
revelatory in the role, transforming his features so he is almost two different
characters during the story. His amateur assassin becomes reluctant protector
to his estranged family and his bravery, resourcefulness and determination are hilariously balanced by his
total authenticity, lack of faith in himself and deep sadness he lugs around
with him. It is a wonderful performance; at times bringing real warmth and
empathy to the character while being darkly funny as he is forced to tend his
wounds and deal in death. There clearly can't be a happy ending for poor Dwight
who never smiles and takes no pleasure in his actions. He is a man driven to do
what he simply has to do and he has no illusions that he deserves to get out
alive. However you are guaranteed to wince with him when he is hurt and cheer
him on when he takes revenge.
Helped
along the way by an old friend who warns him not to make speeches before
killing people, Blue Ruin is gripping from start to finish even when it pauses
for pitch black humour. The villains may not have much shading, but their love
of guns is enough to make them (for the most part) a mysterious and chilling
foe. Bleakly funny, tense beyond words, breathtaking and heartbreaking, Blue
Ruin is everything you could possibly want in a thriller. Dwight is undoubtedly
one of the best characters of the year and his story will keep you riveted. As
Dwight travels to another showdown, he hears a song about having no regrets on
the radio. Like Dwight after his spree, you certainly won't have any regrets
after seeing the brilliant Blue Ruin.
Watch the trailer:
Check out my review of writer/director Jeremy Saulnier's latest Green Room and watch out for my interviews with Saulnier and Green Room actor Callum Turner coming soon at Starburst Magazine.
