Out of the Furnace (2013)

Directed by: Scott Cooper
Country: USA

Movie Review: “Out of The Furnace”, despite its familiarity, is far from being a bad film. It could have been better, in case the plot, written by filmmaker Scott Cooper (“Crazy Heart”) conjointly with Brad Ingelsby, has presented some more substantial and surprising elements. The story takes place in economically depressed Rust Belt region, where Russell Blaze gets ready to revenge the death of his brother, Rodney, a traumatized former soldier who makes a living participating in illegal fights, ending up brutally killed at the hands of ruthless Harlan DeGroat. In the first half, the characters were introduced and we can see the happenings that led to Rodney’s murder, while in the second one, we follow Russell’s search for his missing brother and consequent fall into darkness caused by a merciless revenge. With a high-quality cast featuring Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson, and Casey Affleck in the main roles, “Out of the Furnace” is a grim and violent tale, set with dark hues to enhance the ill-fated destinies depicted. This particularly repellent mood, along with the physical aspect of its characters and hunting sequences, brought to my mind the recent “A Single Shot”, whose darkness didn’t show the same consistence when compared to this one. Cooper tries to represent a slice of inevitably doomed life, at the same time that gives the idea of a violent America with its maladjusted criminal justice system. He might not have been brilliant or fresh, but the film haunts us for a while due to its direct, fearless, and relentless approach.