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Blunt Force Trauma
Other // Unrated // October 6, 2015
List Price: $19.99 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Film:
It's hard to imagine a more literal take on the "modern-day western" than the premise behind Blunt Force Trauma: strap bulletproof vests onto the participants of wild-west-style pistol square-offs, shifting the proceedings from a duel to immediate death to something like the endurance of a boxing match. Those vests are about the only thing separating the straightforward idea from the framework of other run-of-the-mill competitive gunfight scenarios already out there in classic and modern westerns, featuring a pair of gunslingers who rise up the ranks to square off with the best of the best of an outlawed sport in South America. There's nothing wrong with the minimalism there so long as writer/director Ken Sanzel has a grip on it, somehow tapping into charismatic flourishes and schlocky thrills that show some degree of self-awareness. Despite amplified dialogue and a keen eye for gritty locations to frame the duels, Blunt Force Trauma ends up taking itself far too seriously as a drawn-out and somber backfire with little redemptive value.
People gather in grimy makeshift arenas across South America to participate in these duels, strapping on vests and having an intermediary check the bullets of their personal firearms (all pistols) before stepping into opposing circles across from another. After a heavy bolt slams, a beer can drops, or a blade stabs into the ground, the rivals fire upon one another until one of 'em exits the circle and/or falls down due to the impact -- essentially, gets knocked out -- for a predetermined amount of seconds, with the winner taking
home the pot. It's a culture that John (Ryan Kwanten) sort of fell into, but now he's developed enough hunger and aptitude for it that he wants to square off with the mythical head honcho, to which he'll have to jump through some hoops along the circuit to make it happen. A formidable and attractive duelist, Colt (Freida Pinto), joins him on his quest, sporting her own agenda and devil-may-care attitude as they descend further into the dangerous underground culture.
During the initial duel that introduces the intense atmosphere and the roundabout rules, it looks as if director Sanzel might have the right idea with Blunt Force Trauma, where a group of bold, distinct personalities sporting deadly firearms reinvigorate the quick-draw bravura of the "Wild West". Gritty improvised locations reveal a bit of panache in the writer/director's artistic viewpoint, from the knockout zones created by yellow swaths of paint in the grooves of train stockyards to the subtle rays of light pooling in through wood slats of a barn's walls. Alas, these end up being the settings for exceedingly dull, protracted duels that oversell the tense seconds before the bullets start flying, falling back on a peculiar mix of trigger-happy suspense and competitive pummeling that struggles with making one value the skill involved with the "sport". The precision of the draws and the pain of the shielded bullet wounds come across as afterthoughts, emerging in importance only when the plot needs a boost.
Blunt Force Trauma needs a lot of shots to the arm to keep moseying along, too, mainly because there isn't much to the underlying plotting beyond John and Colt's mutual impetus through the underground circuit's ranks and their complicated chemistry on the road. Instead of digging deeper into their characters as an examination of who they really are and why they're involved with the profession, their conversations hinge on a brand of neo-noir flair and guarded existentialism that perpetually keeps one another -- and the audience -- at
arm's length, revealing vague elements of their history in dry, detached ways. Ryan Kwanten's experience with westerns and oddball characters languishes inside John's conventional intensity and piercing gazes, while the beauty and mysteriousness of Freida Pinto's character struggles underneath an exterior that's too hardened to jibe with our hardened antihero. Their rapport ends up feeling stiff throughout, though Sanzel gives it a pass due to the volatile nature of their profession.
The journey in getting to the reigning bigwig champion, Zeddiger -- played with zen-like charisma by Mickey Rourke in what's essentially a cameo -- throws a handful of complications at John and Colt, none of which elevate the pulse or make Blunt Force Trauma any more gratifying in its action or thrills. Part of that stems from the predictable, steadfast trajectory being followed by the narrative, but it also has to do with some inane decisions made by a pair of gun-toting, cash-dealing outlaws who should know better than to draw attention to themselves, unnaturally interrupting the flow of the story with self-created problems whose outcomes make it obvious that they're only delaying the inevitable. Police pursuits, thievery attempts, even a training montage open up windows for some kind of brazen amusement, but writer-director Sanzel never breaks from the gloomy attitude to truly relish these meager bursts of bedlam. These are unhappy gunslingers blazing towards their goals with discontent, and Blunt Force Trauma suffers from the impact of that.
The DVD:
Video and Audio:
Blunt Force Trauma is a dark and gritty movie, operating in dim spots for shootouts and surrounded by grimy, gristly textures, but there's also a sneaky caliber of beauty within the underlying palette. Alchemy's 1.78:1-framed, 16x9 transfer copes with the darkness and grit to be best of its abilities: rust-colored drips down walls, the stone and metal of the train station, and the angles of the walls project some appealing textures underneath contrast levels that are thick, yet never too heavy to overbear details. Rushes of color from the yellow paint in the station and the greenery surrounding a farmhouse offer appealing, well-saturated breaks from the gloomy saturation levels, while skin tones and welts offer much-needed warmth to everything in a fashion that stays aligned with the cinematography's design. There are outdoor moments too, though, a few sprawling vistas that relish the film's depth of field and organic greens and blues, which the disc handles quite handsomely.
The Dolby Digital 5.1 track deals with an array of complications, though, notably audibility levels of the dialogue that's likely due to the source itself. On more than a few occasions -- especially amid Freida Pinto's talks with John -- clarity was compromised where some rewinding had to happen to discern what was being said amid dialogue, the result of a thin center channel and some slightly oppressive front channels at certain points. Gunshots don't really pack the lower-end punch that I would've liked, but mid-range effects play quite well with a robust upper and lower-end response, like the rolling of a heavy bolt across gravel and the impact of a bullet on metallic surfaces. Surround activity, however, is frequent and vigorous throughout, capturing the ambience of the dueling arenas and of the firearms themselves. Decent when oriented towards action, but struggles with verbal delivery. English and Spanish subs are available, along with a 2-channel Stereo track.
Special Features:
Nothing loaded up here.
Final Thoughts:
It's definitely blunt and forceful, but Blunt Force Trauma doesn't land with nearly enough impact to create any trauma. Bland shootouts that last too long, superficial characters, and a dime-a-dozen plot decides to go the route of straight-faced pragmatism instead of playing up the lunacy of the bulletproof vest dueling sport, all while elongating the film with meandering conversations and inconsequential obstacles created by the two antiheroes. Director Ken Sanzel has visual panache and an eye for the right actors for the role, but he misuses them here in an action-thriller that doesn't really click. Skip It.
Thomas Spurlin, Staff Reviewer -- DVDTalk Reviews | Personal Blog/Site
 |
It's hard to imagine a more literal take on the "modern-day western" than the premise behind Blunt Force Trauma: strap bulletproof vests onto the participants of wild-west-style pistol square-offs, shifting the proceedings from a duel to immediate death to something like the endurance of a boxing match. Those vests are about the only thing separating the straightforward idea from the framework of other run-of-the-mill competitive gunfight scenarios already out there in classic and modern westerns, featuring a pair of gunslingers who rise up the ranks to square off with the best of the best of an outlawed sport in South America. There's nothing wrong with the minimalism there so long as writer/director Ken Sanzel has a grip on it, somehow tapping into charismatic flourishes and schlocky thrills that show some degree of self-awareness. Despite amplified dialogue and a keen eye for gritty locations to frame the duels, Blunt Force Trauma ends up taking itself far too seriously as a drawn-out and somber backfire with little redemptive value.
People gather in grimy makeshift arenas across South America to participate in these duels, strapping on vests and having an intermediary check the bullets of their personal firearms (all pistols) before stepping into opposing circles across from another. After a heavy bolt slams, a beer can drops, or a blade stabs into the ground, the rivals fire upon one another until one of 'em exits the circle and/or falls down due to the impact -- essentially, gets knocked out -- for a predetermined amount of seconds, with the winner taking
home the pot. It's a culture that John (Ryan Kwanten) sort of fell into, but now he's developed enough hunger and aptitude for it that he wants to square off with the mythical head honcho, to which he'll have to jump through some hoops along the circuit to make it happen. A formidable and attractive duelist, Colt (Freida Pinto), joins him on his quest, sporting her own agenda and devil-may-care attitude as they descend further into the dangerous underground culture. During the initial duel that introduces the intense atmosphere and the roundabout rules, it looks as if director Sanzel might have the right idea with Blunt Force Trauma, where a group of bold, distinct personalities sporting deadly firearms reinvigorate the quick-draw bravura of the "Wild West". Gritty improvised locations reveal a bit of panache in the writer/director's artistic viewpoint, from the knockout zones created by yellow swaths of paint in the grooves of train stockyards to the subtle rays of light pooling in through wood slats of a barn's walls. Alas, these end up being the settings for exceedingly dull, protracted duels that oversell the tense seconds before the bullets start flying, falling back on a peculiar mix of trigger-happy suspense and competitive pummeling that struggles with making one value the skill involved with the "sport". The precision of the draws and the pain of the shielded bullet wounds come across as afterthoughts, emerging in importance only when the plot needs a boost.
Blunt Force Trauma needs a lot of shots to the arm to keep moseying along, too, mainly because there isn't much to the underlying plotting beyond John and Colt's mutual impetus through the underground circuit's ranks and their complicated chemistry on the road. Instead of digging deeper into their characters as an examination of who they really are and why they're involved with the profession, their conversations hinge on a brand of neo-noir flair and guarded existentialism that perpetually keeps one another -- and the audience -- at
arm's length, revealing vague elements of their history in dry, detached ways. Ryan Kwanten's experience with westerns and oddball characters languishes inside John's conventional intensity and piercing gazes, while the beauty and mysteriousness of Freida Pinto's character struggles underneath an exterior that's too hardened to jibe with our hardened antihero. Their rapport ends up feeling stiff throughout, though Sanzel gives it a pass due to the volatile nature of their profession. The journey in getting to the reigning bigwig champion, Zeddiger -- played with zen-like charisma by Mickey Rourke in what's essentially a cameo -- throws a handful of complications at John and Colt, none of which elevate the pulse or make Blunt Force Trauma any more gratifying in its action or thrills. Part of that stems from the predictable, steadfast trajectory being followed by the narrative, but it also has to do with some inane decisions made by a pair of gun-toting, cash-dealing outlaws who should know better than to draw attention to themselves, unnaturally interrupting the flow of the story with self-created problems whose outcomes make it obvious that they're only delaying the inevitable. Police pursuits, thievery attempts, even a training montage open up windows for some kind of brazen amusement, but writer-director Sanzel never breaks from the gloomy attitude to truly relish these meager bursts of bedlam. These are unhappy gunslingers blazing towards their goals with discontent, and Blunt Force Trauma suffers from the impact of that.
The DVD:
 |  |
Video and Audio:
Blunt Force Trauma is a dark and gritty movie, operating in dim spots for shootouts and surrounded by grimy, gristly textures, but there's also a sneaky caliber of beauty within the underlying palette. Alchemy's 1.78:1-framed, 16x9 transfer copes with the darkness and grit to be best of its abilities: rust-colored drips down walls, the stone and metal of the train station, and the angles of the walls project some appealing textures underneath contrast levels that are thick, yet never too heavy to overbear details. Rushes of color from the yellow paint in the station and the greenery surrounding a farmhouse offer appealing, well-saturated breaks from the gloomy saturation levels, while skin tones and welts offer much-needed warmth to everything in a fashion that stays aligned with the cinematography's design. There are outdoor moments too, though, a few sprawling vistas that relish the film's depth of field and organic greens and blues, which the disc handles quite handsomely.
The Dolby Digital 5.1 track deals with an array of complications, though, notably audibility levels of the dialogue that's likely due to the source itself. On more than a few occasions -- especially amid Freida Pinto's talks with John -- clarity was compromised where some rewinding had to happen to discern what was being said amid dialogue, the result of a thin center channel and some slightly oppressive front channels at certain points. Gunshots don't really pack the lower-end punch that I would've liked, but mid-range effects play quite well with a robust upper and lower-end response, like the rolling of a heavy bolt across gravel and the impact of a bullet on metallic surfaces. Surround activity, however, is frequent and vigorous throughout, capturing the ambience of the dueling arenas and of the firearms themselves. Decent when oriented towards action, but struggles with verbal delivery. English and Spanish subs are available, along with a 2-channel Stereo track.
Special Features:
Nothing loaded up here.
Final Thoughts:
It's definitely blunt and forceful, but Blunt Force Trauma doesn't land with nearly enough impact to create any trauma. Bland shootouts that last too long, superficial characters, and a dime-a-dozen plot decides to go the route of straight-faced pragmatism instead of playing up the lunacy of the bulletproof vest dueling sport, all while elongating the film with meandering conversations and inconsequential obstacles created by the two antiheroes. Director Ken Sanzel has visual panache and an eye for the right actors for the role, but he misuses them here in an action-thriller that doesn't really click. Skip It.
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