Dead Man's Burden

A Spare Modern Western That Maintains A Refreshingly Hard Edge Throughout
I really didn't expect much from the independent western "Dead Man's Burden," but I was actually pleasantly surprised. Writer/director Jared Moshe has assembled a small and relatively unknown cast and produced an efficient, effective family drama set in the aftermath of the Civil War. This is a low dollar affair, to be sure, but it proves that you don't need a huge budget to create an intriguing story. The film has a refreshingly hard edge and simply feels different than most of the pictures on the indie scene today. I was truly wary as the film opened with a shoot-em-up that bordered on melodrama. But when the movie and its screenplay get into the principle plot lines, the film has a grounded grittiness that I did not expect. A story of loss, reconciliation, retribution and betrayal, this little movie examines a family torn apart by circumstances. Can a long lost brother reconnect with his sister after their father's death? Or has too much changed for them both? The movie...

A Western Well Worth Seeing
The genre is alive, well and evolving in a positive way. What I particularly liked was the depth of the story and its intensity with the absence of cliches and audience pandering. Also, one could viscerally experience the grittiness of the frontier and be mentally provoked by the contention between morality and self interest. Finally, the cinematography was superb in the old fashioned way. There is much more to this film than the usual fare. A must see for anyone serious about Westerns.

Disappointing BURDEN Never Amounts To Much
I've always enjoyed a good Western. There's nothing like the old West for the setting of a great morality play. The characters get to play dress up; the horses come blazing in; and the heartbreaking vistas make for some dramatic backdrop to the inevitably inconsequential human emotions. Finding something fresh, new, and vibrant to say by way of the American Western - if it's alright to dub it a uniquely American story - is the tough sell; one could argue that they've been done to death. If DEAD MAN'S BURDEN is any indication, then Boot Hill better make room for this `yawner' to rest in peace.

(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and characters. If you're the kind of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I'd encourage you to skip down to the last three paragraphs for my final assessment. If, however, you're accepting of a few modest hints at `things to come', then read on ...)...

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