The Duel – Blu-Ray Movie Review

In 1880s Texas, the governor becomes concerned when bodies begin appearing down-river from a remote town called Helena. He sends Ranger David Kingston undercover to investigate. David brings his wife Marisol along for what appears to simply be a reconnaissance mission. The town however is not what it seems. The locals seem to live in fear and awe of their leader Abraham, also known as The Preacher. Marisol is quickly absorbed into the bizarre cult while David discovers the gruesome truth. Rather than calling for reinforcements, he decides to deal with the situation on his own. After a number of bloody encounters, he fights one final duel with The Preacher in hopes of setting things right.

To avoid giving away the plot, I can only say that the subject matter is extremely dark and borderline-disturbing. Production quality is good with solid performances from both Woody Harrelson and Liam Hemsworth. The supporting cast is mostly window dressing but that doesn’t detract from a well-made movie.

The film builds slowly from the first act and doesn’t reveal too much too soon. I was reminded a bit of Apocalypse Now. When you finally learn the big plot element, it comes a something of a surprise. From there things get pretty intense and the movie’s relatively short length keeps the story moving at a good pace. Then it turns into a film more like Unforgiven. The resolution is satisfying and nothing is left hanging which is a good thing.

That being said, my three-star entertainment rating mostly refers to the story itself, not its telling. While I have little doubt that the grisly things portrayed here may actually have happened in some remote location in the 1880s, it’s not something I find enjoyable to watch. This is in no way a family western and one should consider carefully before letting their kids join in.

The image varies a bit in quality from start to finish. Outdoor scenes in the town have a pale yellow appearance which looks a bit flat even though contrast is fairly deep. Dark material, sometimes lit only by oil lamps, is murky and cooler than it should be. Some warmth might have brought out the shadow detail better. The final act takes place in a classic western setting of small canyons and scrub-brush. There, color is much more natural and pleasing. I also saw several moments where focus-pull lagged behind the action.

Audio is clean and crisp with clear dialog and excellent ambient effects that make good use of the surround channels. My only beef is with the portrayal of gunfire which is extremely loud. It seems like every firearm, regardless of size, sounds like an artillery piece.

The only bonus feature included is audio commentary from the director and production designer.