Solomon Kane hits Blu-ray/DVD July 16th.
Some movies become mythological. They screen on the festival circuit to raves, or at least to wild speculation, and then they sort of disappear from the scene. Certain markets never really get their hands on them. Then film geek urban legends crop up concerning them. Take Britain’s “video nasties”, for instance. The minute a film was banned for British audiences, those films just HAD to be tracked down and passed around on shoddy VHS tapes for years amongst the hardcore fans.
For me and many American film geeks, Solomon Kane is one of those films. For all intents and purposes, this is a 2009 film. But we here in the US are just getting the chance to see a real theatrical run and home video release in 2013. Why is that exactly? I can’t be too sure. The movie is based on a pre-existing property by Conan creator Robert E. Howard, it is filled with swashbuckling adventure and a deadly serious tale exploring the serpentine path our hero must trod in order to find redemption for his damned soul. The gritty and dour tone, mixed with an almost super-heroic reverence for its central character will almost certainly appeal to Nolan-ites near and far. And fantasy fans are hungry to see their beloved heroes of pulp fiction up on the big screen. And those are just some of the “business” reasons why I would assume Solomon Kane would be a good investment here in the US.
I’m not a business man, though, I’m just a fan who tracked down this movie for years before finally finding a British DVD that I could rent legally and experience the film for myself. And you know what? I love Solomon Kane… but I’m fairly certain I love it a lot more than it is actually a great movie. But I’ll get to that. My point is that although I saw it above board, most Americans wouldn’t have the same opportunity. Enter Radius TWC, who seem to be (at least partially) in the business of bringing us some of these “lost” films. They struck a US distribution deal for both Solomon Kane (which had a limited theatrical run and just now hits US home video) and another, similarly-storied lost slasher film called All The Boys Love Mandy Lane (which I have yet to see but can’t wait for the Radius-funded US release of.)
But I’ve now spent three paragraphs building up the legend of this film without talking about the film itself. And I’d like to build a case for why Solomon Kane is rock solid, while not being earth-shattering. The movie is a brisk and fun action/adventure that never really elevates the genre or offers anything revolutionary or new, but still stands up as a valuable addition to anyone’s library of cracking adventure films.
Howard’s Solomon Kane is a wanderer steeped in the Puritan tradition, but also surrounded and influenced by tribal religions and cults all across “deepest darkest Africa”. He is a complex character on one hand, but on the other… you pretty much know the guy is going to crack some skulls, shoot a musket or two, and ultimately save the day while looking super cool in his cape and wide-brimmed hat. Here, writer/director Michael J. Bassett was tasked with what has become a fairly unenviable job at this point: to tell a Solomon Kane origin tale. Between the Star Wars Prequels and relentless studio re-boots of super hero franchises, I believe US audiences are starting to get a little bit exhausted by origin tales. And rightly so.
But here I think the story works. Bassett is able to introduce viewers to a character that hardcore fans will know well, but mainstream audiences won’t be familiar with at all. In Bassett’s film, we first meet a power-hungry and wicked Kane as he burns and pillages foreign cities in the name of the crown of England. But when Kane has a literal encounter with the Devi’s Reaper, he knows he must change his ways and stop at nothing to redeem his soul. So the rest of the film follows a changed, contrite, and peaceful Kane who must follow the mysterious leadings of God to find a path to redemption. And you better believe his adventures will ultimately aide him in putting together that perfect Solomon Kane look from the books, slow-motion cape-donning and all. (I kid, but that shot where he finally puts the cape on is magically badass.)
Before we get too far off the subject of film franchises that seem to offer endless origins, I’d say that James Purefoy’s performance here reminds me a lot of Hugh Jackman’s as Wolverine. Through a number of X-Men films, Jackman has been the living embodiment of Logan regardless of the ultimate quality of the final product. I think the casting of Purefoy as Kane, and the performance that he delivers, is this film’s greatest asset. Purefoy attacks this role with a deadly earnestness and both he and Bassett made sure that this would not be an even remotely ironic or cute or post-modern take on Solomon Kane. The way they see it: Kane’s mission to re-claim his soul is deadly serious, so as a character he must have a singular focus. But the audience wants to have a good time, so we get to watch a fast-paced and dark tale of adventure even if Kane himself doesn’t see it that way.
I also genuinely believe that Kane’s quest for redemption here has moments of real drama and gravity. After he is sent out from a monestary where he has claimed sanctuary since his encounter with the Reaper, Kane comes across the Crowthorns, a Puritan family whose father (Pete Postlethwaite, RIP) welcomes him and councels him and offers him a new path with a new family. It is the kind of situation that you know, as a viewer, is too good to last. But Kane’s bond with this family feels authentic and you very quickly come to love them. And when… bad things happen, Kane’s path to salvation becomes the clearest it has ever been: save Meredith Crowthorn (Rachel Hurd-Wood) from the clutches of evil wizard Malachi, and your soul too will be saved.
Now I love a good road movie, where the hero travels on and on in pursuit of… something/anything, and they end up having many side quests and distractions along the way. Solomon Kane has that kind of structure, and it might be off putting to some. He’ll get side-tracked, he’ll meet people (and creatures) along the journey, and some of those moments may feel like they don’t really go anywhere or pay off the final (if simplistic) goal of saving the damsel from the castle. One could be forgiven for finding this structure a little bit disjointed or messy. I am inclined to agree. But at the same time I enjoy the world that Bassett is building and don’t mind going down a few rabbit holes.
The ultimate climax of the film is probably where I feel the film flounders the most. The evil villain of the piece is really a nameless and voiceless dark rider who wears a mask of human skin and terrorizes the country side in the name of Malachi. He’s kind of a one man Ring Wraith. So when we finally do meet Malachi at the end of the film, what is supposed to feel like an epic battle feels more like a bland CGI-fest. Bland is a little strong. All the dramatic beats between Solomon and Meredith, as well as between Solomon and the nameless “Overlord”, feel earned. But since Malachi hasn’t been a presence in the film at all until the final moments… the confrontation is dramatically weightless.
But where I feel the screenplay is occasionally wonky and troublesome, the action and creativity and art direction throughout the movie just fills it with enough life and spark and fun that I know I’ll revisit this film often. There are practical creature designs throughout, which I always appreciate. The Reaper from early in the film and the “Overlord” character with his Leatherface-meets-Ring Wraith look are super cool and much appreciated. And while the film’s low budget occasionally shows through, you can see that Bassett and his team did a whole lot with very little.
Solomon Kane is a film that I really dig as a fan of Robert E. Howard and the original Kane stories. I’m thrilled to own the Blu-ray and excited for US audiences to have a chance to discover it. As a film critic I can see the flaws and feel the rough spots, but as a fan I look past the creaky elements and feel the heart and soul of the film is right where it should be.
The Package
I rambled on way too long about the film to go into serious depth on the disc itself. But I felt it looked great and sounded great, even if there are several rough patches of CGI and effects work that look their budget.
And although I’m super excited that Radius TWC brought the film here to the US, I don’t believe it got any new bonus features or supplemental material for this release. There is a commentary with Bassett and Purefoy that communicates their comradarie and their clear passion for this project. And there are some featurettes and interviews that appear to be a part of an earlier 2009 release in other markets.
Please correct me if I’m wrong, but these bonus features don’t feel brand new.
But that is okay, the disc isn’t barren, and I spent a solid 2.5 to 3 hours with all of the bonus features after revisiting the film itself. It is a treat for fans like me to have an opportunity to own a Blu-ray copy of Solomon Kane and now we’ll just have to hopelessly dream of the day when a sequel gets greenlit!
And I’m Out.