MovieChat Forums > Seraphim Falls (2007) Discussion > Switching Sides

Switching Sides

posted 17 years ago by lambrettaguy200
8 replies | jump to latest

I spent at least the first half or so of the film supporting Pierce Brosnan, admiring his guile and sense of self-preservation and hoping bad would befall Liam Neeson and his team of cold-hearted killers. I admired how he killed some of Neeson's men.

Then I discovered he was a Yankee. Worse still, I found out that the pursuer was an ex-Confederate, whose family had been murdered by Pierce Brosnan's marauding soldiers after the war was finished.

Suddenly, I hated Pierce Brosnan's character, seeing him as a murderous bluebelly and hoping Liam would gut his star-spangled carcass !

Was anyone else so transformed ?

You wanna f * * k with me? Okay. Say hello to my little friend! (Tony Montana)

[–] Strunkinator 17 years ago

Yes. But it was the murder factor that I switched to Neeson, not which side that had fought upon in the war.

[–] BcSc 16 years ago

But it wasn't murder, though. This is the liberal way... remember, EVERYTHING is a shade of grey to them. No wrong, no right. Gideon said to only burn the barn. It was an accidental killing. EVERYTHING is ambiguous in liberal-land.

The behind the scenes featurette really slayed me: they all talked about how great and exciting it was to be in a 'John Ford/John Wayne' style film, then they proceeded to create a film that was anything but.

[–] stevelatinner 14 years ago

How can you let politics ruin a western movie?

What a joke.

[–] lizard666666 14 years ago

Gideon was truly upset and disgusted with himself and the war along with all things connected with it as we see him throwing away his pistol belt and throwing away his uniform coat (blouse) as he leaves the farm. Obviously, he deserted the Army as a result of this terrible situation. Perhaps no wars are as vicious as a civil war and some never seem to end. Look what's going on in Northern Ireland. I found it interesting that two Irish actors were playing roles in a movie about revenge. Maybe I'm reading too much into that.

Gideon means destroyer or mighty warrior.

[–] LostChild23 14 years ago

Ithink we're supposed to feel for both men because Carver(Family is killed) and Gideon( He's being hunted,and his guilt) but after watching the movie a few times, i never switched from feeling for Gideon, maybe it could be because Brosnan gives a great performance that makes you feel for his character...

Carver was so hell bent on revenge that it just makes him the bad guy imo, i guess thats why i'm more on Gideon side also.

"What is that?"-Reese

"Something my brother used to listen too"-Marcus

[–] iamdoingthat-1 14 years ago

That was my favorite aspect of the movie. You spend the first section feeling so bad for Brosnan and hating the posse for chasing down a man so ruthlessly and relentlessly for no apparent reason. Even when Brosnan tries to steal the horse, you feel like it's justified, even after the father indicates how important it is to his family to keep their horse.

Then you find out what "Seraphim Falls" means and it all gets turned upside-down. You haven't forgotten how much pity you felt for Brosnan, but _everything_ Neeson has done after the incident is understandable. You want Brosnan to get what's coming to him, but it sort of tastes bad.

I'm not a film student so I don't know the right word for the process, but it was great.

[–] JPMerola 13 years ago

Agree or not, I'll take your, from the heart, explanation of what you thought of the film over some Hitchcock quoting ass, referring to "montage" and "motif". Blag! Hitchcock hated method actors and "critics" who read symbolism into every movie. Yet those people still use him to prove they are correct. Oops did I just do that.....AAAAARRRRRRrrrrggggg!!!!!

[–] jhvaughan2 13 years ago

<spoiler>
Carver looses my sympathy when he murders Hayes.