The Duel

• Directed by Kieran Darcy-Smith
• June 24, 2016 (US)

A Texas Ranger is sent undercover in 1887 to investigate unexplained deaths in a small town.

Yet another movie filled with largely shitty examples of humanity. Why do I do this to myself? Why?

The Duel is a 2016 Western that like so many Westerns these days mistakes personal problems for character traits. The more damaged someone is the better. Or so it seems. Some baggage is necessary but our ‘hero’ could have used some counseling (sadly modern psychology was a few years away) and his marriage could use some serious help as well. That is on top of the general issues he carries with him in connection with the investigation.

That there is an issue. While ultimately a revenge film, The Duel could have been a little bit more interesting if it had proceeded like an investigation. As it is there are no real questions asked or information gathered. Based on that bit with the Texas governor (William Sadler) I was left trying to figure out why at the minimum a posse was not sent right in rather than a, um, lone Ranger.

The villain of the movie is Abraham Brant (Woody Harrelson). He’s a preacher who is rumored to have been touched by God and is trying to purge his area of Texas of anything Mexican though he has a soft spot for Mexican women on occasion so much so that he takes a shine to our hero’s wife.

Our hero Texas Ranger David Kingston (Liam Hemsworth) is having marital problems because his job as a Texas Ranger keeps him away from home a lot and his wife Marisol (Alice Braga) is threatening to leave him. Naturally he brings her along on a dangerous mission. Makes sense.

Thrown into the mix is that after getting to the town Marisol starts to like Abraham but Abraham killed David’s father. This bit of info appears known to the governor. I guess back in the Old West it was wise to send somebody on a mission that could also intersect with a desire for revenge.

You know exactly where this is headed before it even gets there with Marisol and Abraham. Helen Keller would see this coming. Stevie Wonder saw the signs. Need I go on? And it all happens quite easily. That begs the question: why was Marisol even with David? Admittedly it was 1887 but Marisol does not come off as a character held in place by the taboos of her time.

And you get a pretty good idea of where it’s heading with Abraham and David. The Duel is a film so focused on everybody having a chip on their shoulder rather than good world building or an intricate plot that of course Abraham already knows who David is. It is the most tepid of revelations.

Aside from controlling the town where this all takes place and having everyone under his sway, Abraham is also running a side business where for $200 a person anyone can hunt a Mexican of their choosing in order to feel what it’s like to kill. Capitalism. That bit was unknown before David went on his mission. This could have added tension and drama if David’s wife was used but nope.

This movie certainly looks good. And The Duel has an adequately talented cast and good direction but it’s yet another Western filled with terrible people. Revenge Westerns are nothing new and have been a long-standing sub-genre of the Western. This film perhaps could’ve been helped by building up the animosity and general dislike between David and Abraham. But it just never feels like it builds.

It doesn’t appear as if they are heading for a confrontation. Just feels as if the confrontation was tacked on to give the ending a bang. Nothing really puts these two on a path to fighting. At least nothing that should necessarily lead to a bloodbath.

Does anyone come out different on the other side? Does our hero? I’m not exactly sure. Is him riding off into the wilderness supposed to symbolize he’s come to terms with his father’s murder at the hands of Abraham? And what was the point of including the wife in the story? It’s not as if the character of David needs another reason to not like Abraham. He had watched the man kill his father when he was a kid. 

The end definitely leaves you wondering if the people abandoned the town or there was just some cover by the government to prevent another war with Mexico as fear of one is what sparks the investigation since a Mexican general’s niece and nephew are among possible victims. What we get is a vague finale where not much of anything can be extrapolated. The story just kicked the dust off its sandals and called it a day.

The Duel is a film with a well-used plot but doesn’t make anything feel grand or epic. Ultimately it’s an okay movie. Not a complete waste of your time but nothing you should seek out.