This is one of those movies where people who do 'bad' things even for good reasons must be punished. In final denouement some will be moved but if you are like me you will just be annoyed at the clichéd predictability of it all. It really doesn't start out this way but as the story progresses the intent becomes clear, though we hang on, however vain the hope, that something good may develop. I suppose that's a positive. The director does keep us clinging to our wishful thinking, though we know deep down that our hearts must be broken in this version of the western kabuki play. There are some decent performances. Clare Bowen makes a valiant effort but her character was never fully believable for me. The others seemed like competent stock characters. The direction seemed to be amateurish at times and the numerous attempts to use lens flares and back-lighting 'creatively' I found irritating and distracting. Then there is the matter of a shotgun being able to drop a fast moving horse at a distance of 200 plus yards and other assorted improbabilities and inconsistencies. I hope the director gets another shot. I think with experience and some competent mentoring he may do some fine work.
16 Reviews
Some merit, but oh so slow....
Wizard-89 June 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I normally love westerns, so when I stumbled upon this one on Netflix, I decided to give it a look. Usually when I watch a western, I can find some good things about it and be forgiving of some flaws. Well, I did find some good things in this movie, but ultimately it was flawed enough to make even me realize that it wasn't very good overall. First, the good stuff. I really appreciated that the script decided to go against convention and put some fresh twists in its story and characters. I won't go into too much detail about how they do that, though I will mention that the character who is usually a bad guy in westerns like this is NOT the bad guy this time around. The locations and cinematography are also pretty good, sometimes combining to make some impressive visuals. Also, after watching so many fast-paced and action-packed westerns, this one is more laid back, and its calm and thoughtful feel is sometimes refreshing.
However, ultimately the movie is TOO calm and laid back. The story is extremely slow for the most part, and quite often the movie seems to be spinning its wheels instead of getting down to business. The movie was also saddled with a very low budget, with a minimum amount of production values. The cheapness of the project may also explain that some of the lines of dialogue are pronounced and recorded so poorly that it's hard to understand what the characters are saying. (Even the English caption option on Netflix was unable to understand some of the dialogue!)
As I said, there is some good stuff here, but the movie has a few too many flaws for its own good. It's the cinematic definition of the term "interesting failure".
However, ultimately the movie is TOO calm and laid back. The story is extremely slow for the most part, and quite often the movie seems to be spinning its wheels instead of getting down to business. The movie was also saddled with a very low budget, with a minimum amount of production values. The cheapness of the project may also explain that some of the lines of dialogue are pronounced and recorded so poorly that it's hard to understand what the characters are saying. (Even the English caption option on Netflix was unable to understand some of the dialogue!)
As I said, there is some good stuff here, but the movie has a few too many flaws for its own good. It's the cinematic definition of the term "interesting failure".
There's a lot of good stuff in this movie.
richardbrennan-784291 April 2018
It's technically very well done, the scenery is wonderful and it's a pretty good story. The acting is pretty good, too. So, why did I give it only five out of ten stars? There's just something about it, pacing maybe, that put me off. Or the ''look'' of it. It looks like it was shot with HD digital cams, and looks like the old TV Soaps used to look when they were shot on Video Tape, and everything looks a bit too 'real.'..Or something. Hard to describe.
Skip this. Move on
laurybrownsberger21 April 2018
Mumbling Martha
PaulDVernon20 February 2015
I, personally, love slow burners like this one - with beautiful western scenery, long single- take shots, and interesting and attractive characters. I agree with nearly everything already mentioned in the previous reviews so won't repeat all that here. Save to say I felt the dialog, and this the film, was spoiled by Martha's mumbling! I had to turn on the sub-titles to understand what Clare Bowen was saying as she truly is one of the world's greatest mumblers. (Even in Nashville I have difficulty understanding her.) And even the sub-title writer must have had problems, because quite often in Martha's speech it would just say "inaudible". That said it is a beautiful western! And we don't see too many of them around these days.
Waste of film!
tinbender-4340614 April 2018
The only good thing about this movie are the filming locations. Otherwise don't waste your time. Love the Ghost ranch Abiquiu filming location, drive through there a few times a year, on our way to Pagosa Springs. Stop a couple of miles north of there to let the dogs go potty! (road to the Christ in the desert Monastery). Someone actually called it a "deep, thought provoking, passionate film!" Wow.
Different Cowboy Flick
fmwongmd24 October 2018
Burden of the Dead Man - average Western film
Oslo_Jargo20 January 2017
Warning: Spoilers
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
*Plot analyzed*
Dead Man's Burden is a completely average Western film. Although it is commonplace, it is still nice to see Westerns being made. The New Mexico scenery is always stunning to behold, but the acting is quite average. No one stands out at all. Some of the scenes are just plain routine, since the cast can not elevate them beyond the limits of their paltry acting range. Some may like this style, as it reflects a homegrown flavor that is found in many of today's Westerns.
A brother returns to home to find most of his family dead, and his sister may be responsible. It is slow, at times a bit soporific. It's still worth a watch.
*Plot analyzed*
Dead Man's Burden is a completely average Western film. Although it is commonplace, it is still nice to see Westerns being made. The New Mexico scenery is always stunning to behold, but the acting is quite average. No one stands out at all. Some of the scenes are just plain routine, since the cast can not elevate them beyond the limits of their paltry acting range. Some may like this style, as it reflects a homegrown flavor that is found in many of today's Westerns.
A brother returns to home to find most of his family dead, and his sister may be responsible. It is slow, at times a bit soporific. It's still worth a watch.
Utterly Simple Yet Exceptional
akirkman1011 June 2013
Dead Man's Burden is a low budget independent film that follows the story of a family post Civil War. I was impressed by Jared Moshé's directing and writing and while there is room for improvement I believe he does hold much skill and knowledge for film. The film location alone of New Mexico adds intrigue and beauty as well as capturing the tone of a traditional Western. Barlow Jacobs and David Call were decent, however at times rather cheesy. Clare Bowen gives a standout performance as Martha Kirkland. I hold high hopes for her in the future as she continues Nashville and works on future projects. All in all this film is worth viewing at least once and I urge you to give it a chance.
Dull
inacan-90-89426128 June 2022
The camera work is good. The storyline is not bad but the acting is pretty bland. The movie just goes along and you don't really have any interest in who lives or who dies because none of the actors really are much of anything but just there.
Deep, thought-provoking, passionate film!
kritzer-lauren9 May 2013
Dead Man's Burden was an incredible film and the end was enjoyably unexpected. Throughout the film, you focus on understanding each character and their motives. The scenery is beautiful as it takes place in a western "slow moving" deserted town but don't let the characters fool you - they are more deep, twisted, and intelligent than you think! After the movie finished, it was very easy to sit there and think back to all the 'signs'. I really want to see the movie again so I can watch the progression of how the characters became who they were. There are not many movies out there that put the focus on acting, plot and scenery. It seems movies have animations and various scenes that are very distracting and then they spoon feed you the story line - Dead Man's Burden did not do that and I enjoyed every minute of it.
A Great Film for readers rather than spoon feeders
jpp102315 June 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I'm sad to see such ignorant criticism posted about this fine film. It is well crafted, well acted, well written and the cinematography is mesmerizing amidst the colors of the New Mexican desert. It is important to note that this is a literary minded drama with the right amount of action. It is not a shoot-em-up action film with Clint Eastwood type one liners. It reminds me of Greek Tragedy and I can't explain the details why without spoilers so just keep that in mind as you view and any reader of classics will clearly see these timeless themes and cautionary tales of morality inherent in the story line. I was impressed at the implied back stories which indicated the family's troubles existed prior to their current explosive dilemma. The story accomplishes so much meaning with spare details that become crystallized as the film concludes. This film deserves a much much higher rating so if you like it as much as I did please share a review that will help ensure people won't pass over this great Western Drama because of an unfair rating.
A worthy well made low budget western
Tony Rome7 October 2012
Director Jared Mosche makes a fine feature film debut with "Dead Mans Burden" This film made its east cost premier at the 20th Hamptons International Film Festival. Mosche brilliantly captures the lawlessness of the mid to late nineteenth century American west. The film centers around the death of a family member, and the mine that wants to purchase the family ranch. Richard Riehle (from the comedy "Office Space") does a fine job playing the best and only friend of the deceased. His performance captures the loneliness and disconnection of a person living in the middle of nowhere, coping with the death of his friend. Hopefully this film finds a distributor.
"Let the past lie, Little Sunshine..."
classicsoncall4 January 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I've seen and reviewed hundreds of Westerns here, but this is one of the most unconventional stories you're liable to come across. It's got that familiar element of a greedy land grabber trying to bilk a woman out of her family's ranch, but the story goes much deeper to reveal the dysfunction of all it's characters, most notably Martha Kirkland (Clare Brown), who opens the story in uncharacteristic fashion. I won't make that reveal here for the benefit of those who haven't seen it yet, but the film sends the viewer on a compelling journey in trying to determine who the picture's good guys and bad guys are.
With all the clichéd story lines one will run up against in the Western genre, this one offers up a number of intriguing elements that haven't been tested before, at least up to this point in my viewing experience. The first was that 'bullet in the glass' which put Martha and husband Heck (David Call) on notice that Wade McCurry (Barlow Jacobs) wasn't buying the explanation for his father's death. The limited back stories of the principal players also contributed to the unsettling resolution that came with Heck's confrontation against Wade. That he rode with Quantrill's Raiders and Bloody Bill Anderson went a long way to explain how he had no trouble gunning down mining company rep Lane (Joseph Lyle Taylor).
For an independent production with a novice director, I can only see good things going forward for Jared Moshe, who crafted this movie with relative unknowns. The cinematography was more than competent, and though I acknowledge the occasional inaudible dialog that other reviewers have mentioned, my use of captioning proved useful enough to understand what the characters were talking about. For anyone who believes the tale is too slow in the telling, stick around for the final resolution, as it stands typical Western conventions on their head. The only thing I was left to ponder in the end was how Three Penny Hank got his name.
With all the clichéd story lines one will run up against in the Western genre, this one offers up a number of intriguing elements that haven't been tested before, at least up to this point in my viewing experience. The first was that 'bullet in the glass' which put Martha and husband Heck (David Call) on notice that Wade McCurry (Barlow Jacobs) wasn't buying the explanation for his father's death. The limited back stories of the principal players also contributed to the unsettling resolution that came with Heck's confrontation against Wade. That he rode with Quantrill's Raiders and Bloody Bill Anderson went a long way to explain how he had no trouble gunning down mining company rep Lane (Joseph Lyle Taylor).
For an independent production with a novice director, I can only see good things going forward for Jared Moshe, who crafted this movie with relative unknowns. The cinematography was more than competent, and though I acknowledge the occasional inaudible dialog that other reviewers have mentioned, my use of captioning proved useful enough to understand what the characters were talking about. For anyone who believes the tale is too slow in the telling, stick around for the final resolution, as it stands typical Western conventions on their head. The only thing I was left to ponder in the end was how Three Penny Hank got his name.
Spoiler
skyangel_505-110 March 2019
not bad for a low cost independent movie
bbfrmrp14 September 2019
It was a good little independent film set in post civil war New Mexico. The actor's were good especially Clare Bowman. The location was perfect for the film. You could see why they would want to move away The interview the director gave at one of the film festivals was interesting. He really was glad to be an independent filmmaker. Thee wee a lot of twist and turns you don't expect.
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