Westender

Apparently the road to redemption requires a lot of walking. In the literal sense. The movie, Westender, follows one 'Asbrey of Westender', a famous former knight (I know neither why he is famous or former) as he tries to recover the ring of some dead woman (I know neither her relation to Asbrey, or why she was burned) which he lost gambling (while drunk). Oops. Theres a catch, however, as the ring is in the hands of a group of slavers. Queue epic action packed adventure. Or a lot of walking in silence, that works, too. I mean a lot of walking in silence. The man walks through the forest, over two mountains, and across a desert without uttering a single word beyond repeatedly screaming "take me" during a flashback sequence when the desert drives him mad.

The movie isn't bad, in spite of all the walking. Absolutely gorgeous scenery and some excellent acting are the films saving graces. I was delighted to see a scene where a pivotal question is posed and answered entirely without dialogue near the end. Capture the villain, or protect the innocent and lose the villain permanently? Many films would have two characters spelling the question out for the audience. One screaming about how the villain is getting away, the other pleading for protection. Westender cuts between shots of the last slaver as he flees into the distance with the ring, two cloaked men watching from a nearby hill, and the mute face of one of the slaves Asbrey had just freed. Shots of Asbrey twisting in his saddle to look both ways highlight his inner struggle. Much better than the screaming.