These days, it can feel impossible to put a unique spin on the Western. Everyone is familiar with the classic tropes, and with the revisionist subgenre becoming its default mode of storytelling, you’d be forgiven for thinking that even subversive Westerns have run their course. When combined with the genre’s diminished profile, it makes for a miserable fate for something that used to dominate the American entertainment industry. The days of the Western being a cultural touchstone might be over, but there’s still no shortage of modern movies demonstrating why it remains an enticing backdrop for artists. Some of these, like Django Unchained and The Power of the Dog, are widely known, while others have flown beneath the radar. One such example is The Salvation, a 2014 Danish film populated with enough blood to irrigate the Sonoran Desert. It isn’t the most original Western you’ll see, but courtesy of a few twists on the usual formula – not to mention an incredible lead performance by the internet’s favorite Mads Mikkelsen – The Salvation earns its place as a worthy addition to the genre’s lineage.
What Is ‘The Salvation’ About?
Image via Universal Pictures
Even if your only interaction with the Western is idly glancing at a television playing a deluge of John Wayne movies, The Salvation’s narrative will seem very familiar. The film tells the story of Danish settler Jon (Mikkelsen), a veteran of the Second Schleswig War of 1864 who has immigrated to America to build a better life for himself and his family. Seven years after his arrival, his wife and ten-year-old son cross the Atlantic to join him, but their blissful reunion is cut short by an encounter with criminals Paul Delarue (Michael Raymond-James) and Lester (Sean Cameron Michael). A scuffle ensues that leaves Jon beaten and his family murdered, and while he wastes no time enforcing his revenge upon those who wronged him, the repercussions of his actions extend far beyond his personal vendettas. As it transpires, Paul has a brother called Henry Delarue (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), a former United Army Colonel whose moral compass has been irreparably damaged by the horrors he encountered during the Civil War. In other words, not a man to let a transgression against him go unpunished – a lesson he’s keen to make Jon remember.
The above synopsis of The Salvation’s plot – and indeed, pretty much everything that happens throughout its runtime – is run-of-the-mill for the genre, but director Kristian Levring makes the wise decision to embrace, not reject, this inescapable fact. Levring is clearly a fan of the Western (a fascination that stemmed from watching films like The Searchers and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance as a child), and this love saturates every frame of his intercontinental debut. Likeminded viewers could spend days picking apart The Salvation’s homage to Westerns past and present. For instance, the opening owes a clear debt to Once Upon a Time in the West’s legendary opening scene, although the distorted visual effect conjures memories of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford – but Levring avoids becoming lost in overt references. Instead, such tributes are elegantly built into its DNA, bypassing the issue of uninformed viewers feeling like they’re missing out on the film’s appeal due to a constant stream of “remember this?” shots. But for everyone else, The Salvation is the cinematic equivalent of a comfort blanket – a strange assessment for a film this violent.
Mads Mikkelsen Portrays Both a Loving Father and a Vengeful Outlaw With Ease
Image via Universal Pictures
When we’re first introduced to Jon while awaiting the arrival of a steam train, the symbol of America’s modernization. He’s been living in this brave new world for seven years. “Not only do you look like them. You also sound like them,” as his wife comments after their reunion. Jon’s smile, alongside the promise that so will she given enough time, says it all. The American Dream is no fable to him. It’s a living, breathing reality that is firmly within his grasp… at least until a few unsavory locales tear it apart before his eyes. The succeeding narrative doesn’t lean into this angle as much as it could – at the end of the day, Levring has no desire to reinvent the wheel – but the mere presence of an immigrant protagonist forces the viewer to reflect on these standardized tropes from a perspective they might never have considered (in the process, exposing some ugly truths about this alleged glorious utopia). Even without this, Jon is captivating all by himself. He’s an everyday man trapped in an unfathomable scenario, and watching him regress as he tries to claw himself free makes for an engrossing watch.
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But as compelling as Jon is, he would be nothing without the unmistakable screen presence of Mads Mikkelsen. Most viewers will recognize him from his growing assortment of antagonist roles in films like Casino Royale, Doctor Strange, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, and a franchise best villain in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (alongside his incredible turn as Dr. Hannibal Lecter in the cult classic series Hannibal), but Mikkelsen’s talent extends beyond such typecasting. In fact, when presented with the proper material, Mikkelsen can deliver some of the most vulnerable, sincere, and downright human performances you’ll ever encounter. The Hunt by fellow Dogme 95 expat Thomas Vinterberg is a terrific showcase for this, with his appearance in The Salvation serving as its natural successor.
Mikkelsen plays the role of a loving family man with ease, casting aside all preordained notions about his acting capabilities the moment he reunites with his wife and son. It’s rare to see someone with a hardened exterior displaying such levels of affection, but that alone tells us so much about his character. He’s an honest man shouldering the burden of a sinful life – weighted down by the past, but optimistic for the future. Mikkelsen conveys all this before he’s uttered a single line. Thanks to our prior knowledge of his filmography and his impeccable use of micro expressions, he doesn’t need anything else.
Mads Mikkelsen’s Performance Is Reminiscent of Clint Eastwood
Image via Universal Pictures
It also enables a smooth transition when circumstances force Jon to return to his gunslinging roots. The murder of two innocent people demands a malevolent outlaw to enact a distorted form of justice. Mikkelsen – with his weathered features, reluctance to speak, and impassive demeanor even in the face of death – is certainly qualified for the new assignment. It’s a persona that fits the rugged landscapes of the Old West like a glove, and imparts Jon with an authenticity that few few of even the best actors of the 21st century could replicate. His performance echoes revisionist icons like Clint Eastwood, as both exert a silent intensity that commands your attention even when they’re doing very little. But crucially, Mikkelsen retains some vestiges of his former life, accentuating his pain further. As the film progresses and the body count rises, viewers will be shocked how indistinguishable Jon becomes from Mikkelsen’s usual roles. But, then again, in the lawless plains of the American West, aren’t good and evil two sides of the same coin? It’s a conversation that only exists because of his carefully selected casting, and makes you long for a true Western renaissance so Mikkelsen can spend his golden years expanding upon this concept.
Trends move in ebbs and flows. No genre remains in the spotlight forever, but if history is to be believed, Westerns should emerge from the shadows eventually. The Western had struggled to fulfill that second point, with its brief resurgences in the ‘70s and ‘90s being pale imitations of the powerhouse it once was. However, thanks to such television shows Outer Range and the enormously popular Yellowstone franchise – not to mention Martin Scorsese’s latest directing venture, Killers of the Flower Moon – the genre might finally be making its long-awaited comeback. It’s true that The Salvation didn’t enter the public consciousness as deeply as these examples, but that doesn’t make it any less deserving of a watch. In a time when there’s no shortage of films paying tribute to the works of yesteryear, it’s uplifting to see one that remembers the importance of forging its own identity, even it’s only in a small way. The Salvation is an American Western pushed through the filter of European cynicism, all conveyed via Mads Mikkelsen’s most underrated performances. In other words, a gem all fans of the genre should experience.
The Big Picture
The Salvation is a Danish Western film that embraces the genre’s familiar tropes and pays homage to Westerns of the past. The film features an incredible lead performance by Mads Mikkelsen, who portrays a loving father and vengeful outlaw with ease. Despite not reaching the same level of recognition as other Westerns, The Salvation is a solid and interesting addition to the genre.