The Dead Don't Hurt

War, revenge and forgiveness are the main ingredients in this western, which tells the tragic love story of a strong woman struggling to survive in a world populated by ruthless men. This film can rightly be called a Viggo Mortensen project: not only is the Dane responsible for the screenplay, direction, prodution and the soundtrack, he also plays one of the leading roles alongside Vicky Krieps.

Around 1860, they meet in San Francisco - the beginning of the love affair between French-Canadian Vivienne Le Coudy (Krieps) and Danish immigrant Holger Olsen (Mortensen). Not long after they move to Nevada, where Holger has a cottage, the Civil War breaks out. He leaves to go fight for the North and suddenly Vivienne is on her own. She has to deal with the corrupt mayor, an unscrupulous rancher and his violent son Weston, who has his eye on her. One day, Holger returns from the war.