Overall, the film displays director John Woo’s mastery of his craft
Director: John Woo
Cast: Joel Kinnaman, Scott Mescudi, Harold Torres, Catalina Sandino Moreno
With virtually no dialogues exchanged between the characters in the film, Silent Night is an interestingly mounted action-packed thriller despite being predictable.
The film, told in a non-linear manner, begins with a dramatic action sequence of a man running frantically on the road while gapping a red balloon floating across the city. There is a metaphor in the visual. Soon, we realize that he is chasing cars packed with heavily armed gang members who are engaged in gunfire.
He eventually catches up with one of the cars that he is desperately chasing and attacks it with an iron rod, which he picks up from the streets, only to be the target of the enraged inhabitants of the car.
Now, somersaulting over the car and escaping bullets that are fired at him, the man, who was the hunter, is the hunted. The chase ends with the man being shot in the throat, signifying the silencing of the voice. In the background, we hear the Christmas carol – Silent Night, Holy Night!
There is nothing holy about this gory night. It’s the beginning of a revenge drama, displaying the wrath of a distraught father who has lost his son in the mindless crossfire between two warring gangs.
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As the narrative unravels, sans dialogues, we learn how the protagonist transforms from a loving family man who willingly sacrifices his marriage to an obsessive one-man-army fixated on seeking revenge.
The narrative holds your attention without a word spoken by any characters, who grunt when they are crushed against the wall or punched in the face. They grasp or scream when they are in pain, but no word is spoken. Their well-choreographed action does all the talking.
The graph of the plot and the sound effects during the action sequences, combined with Marco Beltrami’s pulsating background score, are what make the visuals engaging.
There is not a single moment that distracts you from the focus of the protagonist. This is a perfectly conceptualised film despite offering nothing fresh in terms of the story. The simplicity of the tale and the complexity of its narrative is what makes this film unique. The cinematic universe of this film is more like the 1980s comic book display of events.
The film is Joel Kinnaman’s canvas. He essays the protagonist, Brian Godlock, with natural ease. His pain, determination, and frustrations are palpable throughout- as he sinks deeper into his mania of bringing the gang leader Playa to books.
Harold Torres- as the heavily tattooed, menacing Playa, is scary and intense. But it is one of his lackeys who steals the show in a lengthy hand-to-hand combat with Brian.
Catalina Sandino Moreno, portraying Brian’s spouse, Saya Godlock, balances the film with her tear-jerking emotional act that slips perfectly into the telling.
Overall, the film displays director John Woo’s mastery of his craft.
(This article is published under a mutual content partnership arrangement between The Brew News and The Free Press Journal)
Silent Night Movie Review: Silent Night Review
