Solomon KaneCan vengeance ever be righteous, or is its very nature a path to damnation? Solomon Kane is a fantasy action film set at the beginning of the 17th century, and follows the trials and tribulations of an erstwhile villain turned penitent named Solomon Kane (James Purefoy). Although Solomon has sworn a vow of pacifism after being confronted with his own mortality, he abandons it at great peril to his eternal soul after witnessing the vicious slaughter of an innocent by a servant of Malachi (Jason Flemyng), a notorious sorcerer whose servants ravage the countryside.
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The question lingers as to whether Solomon is truly repentant for his violent past or if he is only going through the motions because he is afraid of Hell. Flashbacks show a young Solomon (Lucas Stone) resenting his father, Josiah (Max von Sydow), who predictably names Solomon's older brother, Marcus (Samuel Roukin)--a mean-spirited bully--as his heir, and dictates that Solomon spend his life in the priesthood, prompting Solomon to reject his estate and venture out on his own. Time has hardened Solomon into a dark ravager and swarthy swordsman, and one who is comfortable with the deaths of his comrades if it means greater riches for himself. During a raid along the North African coast, Solomon inspires dread in his fellow raiders when they are faced with a slew of supernatural traps, and he proclaims that "I am the only devil here"; his sinister goatee completes the look of one. Solomon is an arrogant tyrant and murderer, showing his cruelty as he slays the defenders of the keep, even when he could offer mercy. He is confronted by a wraith-like manifestation bearing a fiery sword that calls itself "The Devil's Reaper" (Ian Whyte), who accuses Solomon of having made a pact with the devil. Solomon refutes the claim, and only narrowly escapes with both his life and soul. Shaken to his core by the experience, he has made an English church his sanctuary for a year, becoming desperate when he is sent out into the world again, afraid that he will be unable to protect his soul away from the monastery. Solomon has marked his body with scars and tattoos of holy imagery, convinced that by adorning his flesh with these symbols that he will have a better chance of evading damnation. Even though Solomon has holed up in a house of God for so long, he has failed to adequately understand the teachings of Christ--his motives for adopting the role of a pacifist are solely for his own benefit. This changes when he is shown charity by the Crowthorns, a family of puritans who are preparing to voyage across the Atlantic to America. The patriarch, William (Pete Postlethwaite), and his wife, Katherine (Alice Krige), encounter Solomon on the road and invite him along, despite his reluctance to accept their hospitality. He is nursed back to health by the Crowthorns after he is assaulted by a gang of thugs, angered that he carries no valuables. Solomon begins to feel contentment and heart-warming tenderness in the company of this family, including the children--Meredith (Rachel Hurd-Wood), Samuel (Patrick Hurd-Wood), and Edward (Anthony Wilks). He sees shadows of his former life in the Crowthorns, and the virtues of a loving family, absent in his own upbringing. He confesses to William that he was an evil man, and must remain vigilant so as to not be lured back into darkness of his violent nature. But after the Crowthorns are set upon by Malachi's horde, his vows are tested, convincing him that he must abandon his soul to sate his vengeance. William imparts a blessing and a geas onto Solomon--that his soul will be saved should he rescue Meredith from Malachi's clutches; but is Solomon's well-intended mission enough to justify the inevitable bloodbath to follow?
Inspired by stories about the eponymous character by Robert E. Howard--who also created Conan the Barbarian--Solomon Kane is a man who tries to lead a Christ-like life, but strays at virtually every turn, compelled by vengeance in the face of evil like Malachi and those who serve him. Solomon's culpability in the cycle of violence and evil is always in the film's subtext, recalling the popular maxim that violence begets violence, and is at its strongest during the attack on the Crowthorns which brings Solomon to abandon his vow. His failure to engage the brute who takes Samuel hostage results in the child's death, yet his subsequent fury escalates the violence, resulting in William and Edward being killed. When Solomon was a boy, he tried to save a local girl from being assaulted by his brother, leading to a fight that sent Marcus over the edge of a cliff. Solomon later discovers that had he not succumbed to violence--however justified it seemed--that Malachi would never have risen to power. When Solomon discovers Meredith's whereabouts, he prepares to storm his ancestral home with only the faintest vestiges of an army; his single-minded pursuit to save the girl threatens to come at the expense of his followers, as it was during his pirate days. When Solomon is captured by Malachi's masked rider, he is crucified like Jesus Christ at Calvary; that he pulls himself down from the cross to continue his bloody mission says much about Solomon's conflicted relationship with his faith and values. As a medieval fantasy set in the Dark Ages, Solomon Kane share similarities with Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal. Both films feature wanderers with bloody pasts whose souls have been tarnished by their past sins and their worldliness, and who employ metaphysical subterfuge to evade their respective dooms. They also depict realms overrun by darkness--sorcery or plague--replete with witches and bandits; both films also feature Max von Sydow. But both films also represent family as the bright beacon of hope in the face of this despair, possessed of bonds that represent the purest of ideals--and both Solomon Kane and Antonius Block are willing to sacrifice themselves in the name of defending that sacred and holy institution.
Recommended for: Fans of a dark fantasy action film that explores themes of redemption and the paradox of a warrior that claims to embrace Christianity while turning to violence to defend the meek. Solomon Kane boasts lots of swordplay and stylish action set pieces--usually drenched in rain and mud--that should satisfy audiences looking for medieval fantasy fare like "Game of Thrones".
Inspired by stories about the eponymous character by Robert E. Howard--who also created Conan the Barbarian--Solomon Kane is a man who tries to lead a Christ-like life, but strays at virtually every turn, compelled by vengeance in the face of evil like Malachi and those who serve him. Solomon's culpability in the cycle of violence and evil is always in the film's subtext, recalling the popular maxim that violence begets violence, and is at its strongest during the attack on the Crowthorns which brings Solomon to abandon his vow. His failure to engage the brute who takes Samuel hostage results in the child's death, yet his subsequent fury escalates the violence, resulting in William and Edward being killed. When Solomon was a boy, he tried to save a local girl from being assaulted by his brother, leading to a fight that sent Marcus over the edge of a cliff. Solomon later discovers that had he not succumbed to violence--however justified it seemed--that Malachi would never have risen to power. When Solomon discovers Meredith's whereabouts, he prepares to storm his ancestral home with only the faintest vestiges of an army; his single-minded pursuit to save the girl threatens to come at the expense of his followers, as it was during his pirate days. When Solomon is captured by Malachi's masked rider, he is crucified like Jesus Christ at Calvary; that he pulls himself down from the cross to continue his bloody mission says much about Solomon's conflicted relationship with his faith and values. As a medieval fantasy set in the Dark Ages, Solomon Kane share similarities with Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal. Both films feature wanderers with bloody pasts whose souls have been tarnished by their past sins and their worldliness, and who employ metaphysical subterfuge to evade their respective dooms. They also depict realms overrun by darkness--sorcery or plague--replete with witches and bandits; both films also feature Max von Sydow. But both films also represent family as the bright beacon of hope in the face of this despair, possessed of bonds that represent the purest of ideals--and both Solomon Kane and Antonius Block are willing to sacrifice themselves in the name of defending that sacred and holy institution.
Recommended for: Fans of a dark fantasy action film that explores themes of redemption and the paradox of a warrior that claims to embrace Christianity while turning to violence to defend the meek. Solomon Kane boasts lots of swordplay and stylish action set pieces--usually drenched in rain and mud--that should satisfy audiences looking for medieval fantasy fare like "Game of Thrones".