In a Valley of Violence is a 2016 American Western film written and directed by Ti West. Jason Blum serves as producer through his production company Blumhouse Productions. The film stars Ethan Hawke, Taissa Farmiga, James Ransone, Karen Gillan, and John Travolta.
In a Valley of Violence had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 12, 2016, and was released in a limited release and through video on demand on October 21, 2016, by Focus World. The film was a commercial failure grossing only $61,797, but received critical praise for the screenplay, direction, and the performances.
Contents
Plot
A drifter named Paul and his dog, Abbie, make their way towards Mexico through the desert of the Old West in the early 1870s. They encounter Priest, a bandit and disgraced clergyman who tries to steal Paul's horse after claiming that his mule is about to give out on him, but Paul whistles and Abbie attacks the would-be robber. Paul takes Priest's ammunition and his water canteen, before pouring out a bottle of whiskey on the man's wounds and leaving.
Paul enters Denton, a former boomtown on its last legs. In the tavern, Paul meets Gilly, an obnoxious and cocky young man who issues a challenge to fight when Paul threatens him. Gilly approaches Abbie to coax Paul outside, and Paul drops him with a single punch. As Gilly's fiancée Ellen rushes to his aid, Paul heads to the inn, where he meets Ellen's younger sister Mary-Anne. She thanks him for standing up to Gilly and draws Paul and Abbie a bath. U.S. Marshal Clyde Martin, Gilly's father, meets Paul in the inn. Clyde assured Paul that he knows Gilly provoked him but that he won't tolerate an assault on one of his deputies. After identifying Paul as an ex-soldier, Clyde tells him to leave Denton in the morning. Mary-Anne gives Paul a picture to remember her.
That night, Paul and Abbie are jumped by Gilly and Clyde's deputies Tubby, Roy, and Harris as they try to sleep. Gilly accuses Paul of being a deserter and shoots and stabs Abbie to death. He then has Roy and Harris push Paul off a nearby cliff, expecting the fall to kill him but not bothering to check. Paul wakes up the next day, buries Abbie and tells her that he is going to break his promise to her that he would never take another life. On his way back to town, Paul runs into Priest, and takes his mule and revolver.
In Denton, Mary-Anne shelters Paul and offers help. She begs Paul to take her away after he gets revenge, as she has no future in Denton. He refuses, telling her that he abandoned his wife and daughter to enlist in the army and could not bear to see them again after the atrocities he committed. At the hotel, Paul slits Roy's throat as he is bathing. Clyde is alerted to the situation and realizes what Gilly did. He has Harris lock up the jailhouse arsenal and station himself on the roof while Gilly guards the hotel. Gilly accuses Mary-Anne of aiding Paul and while arguing Ellen reveals to Gilly that she is pregnant with his child.
Paul ambushes Harris and forces him to fire on Clyde and Tubby as they make their way to the jailhouse; neither man is hit, but Paul then grabs Harris's rifle, kills him, and throws his body into the street. Inside the jailhouse, upset at the deaths of Roy and Harris, Tubby throws down his gun and starts arguing with Clyde. Paul shoots Tubby in the back through a window. Clyde agrees to disarm himself and surrender so he and Paul can talk. Gilly then comes out of the hotel to kill Paul, but Clyde gets between them to try and negotiate. Gilly and Paul shoot at each other with Clyde between them, killing him in the process.
Cast
Ethan Hawke as Paul, an Indian Wars veteran and drifter
John Travolta as U.S. Marshal Clyde Martin, the pragmatic but ruthless lawman who controls Denton. He has a wooden leg from serving in the military
Taissa Farmiga as Mary-Anne, the innkeeper who grows fond of Paul
James Ransone as Deputy Marshal Gilly Martin, an arrogant and corrupt lawman who runs afoul of Paul
Karen Gillan as Ellen, Gilly's lover and Mary-Anne's condescending older sister
Burn Gorman as Priest, an alcoholic gunslinger who wanders from town to town offering salvation
Kaius Harrison as James T. Baxter, a salesman thrown out of Denton for overpricing his merchandise
Toby Huss as Deputy Marshal Harris
Larry Fessenden as Deputy Marshal Roy
Tommy Nohilly as Deputy Marshal Tubby (a.k.a. "Lawrence")
Jumpy as Abbie, a Cheyenne dog adopted by Paul and named for his daughter
Production
Pre-production
The film was written and directed by Ti West, in collaboration with Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions and Universal Pictures. West also served as a producer for the project, alongside Blum, Jacob Jaffke and Peter Phok. In July 2014, Blum discussed his involvement with the film, "After Ethan [Hawke] and I did Sinister and The Purge, he really, really wanted to do a Western ... It took about a year to find In a Valley of Violence ... which is Ti West's movie." He added that what drew him to the project was his love of West's approach to filmmaking. In March 2016, West revealed in an interview he had written the role with Hawke in mind.
On March 18, 2014, The Hollywood Reporter announced that the film would star John Travolta and Ethan Hawke in main roles, with Hawke portraying the film's protagonist Paul, and Travolta portraying the Marshal Clyde Martin, who has a wooden leg. On May 22, 2014, Deadline Hollywood reported that Taissa Farmiga had been cast as Mary-Anne, a young innkeeper. The following day, Karen Gillan was cast as Ellen, the sister of Farmiga's character. On June 3, 2014, it was announced that James Ransone had been cast in the final main role of Deputy Gilly Martin, the fiancé of Ellen and the son of the Marshal.
While promoting the film, West spoke about finding a "talented" dog to fill the role of Abbie, Paul's canine companion. The part was given to Jumpy, whose trainer, Omar von Muller, also trained Uggie, the late star of The Artist (2011).
Filming
Principal photography for the project began on June 23, 2014, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and lasted approximately five weeks, 25 days in total. The film was shot on 35mm film. A makeshift Western town was built at Cerro Pelon Ranch in Galisteo, New Mexico for the duration of production and was used as the primary location for filming. The elaborate set consisted of a saloon, ramshackle houses, train tracks and a feed-and-seed store. The film's cinematographer, Eric Robbins, revealed that since they were shooting on film, footage wouldn't be seen for several days. Travolta finished filming his scenes on July 16, 2014. Gillan wrapped her scenes on July 18, and Farmiga completed her scenes the following day, on July 19, 2014. On July 26, 2014, Ti West announced on his Twitter account that principal photography for the film had concluded.
Post-production
West edited the film in Burbank, California. On September 8, 2014, West appeared on Bret Easton Ellis' podcast and discussed the filming process of In a Valley of Violence, stating, "It's a Western from the first shot, so I'm really interested to hear people calling it slow burn ... It's a Western from frame one to the end frame, so there's no 'and then it became a Western' – it's always a Western. And that's kind of refreshing for me to make. It's just been artistically a pleasure to do." On April 22, 2015, a raw cut of the film was test screened at the ArcLight cinema in Pasadena, California. In late September 2015, West stated on his official Twitter account that the film was in the final stages of post-production.
Soundtrack
On January 12, 2015, it was announced that composer Jeff Grace had been hired to write the musical score for the film, marking the fourth time Grace has scored for Ti West, having previously composed music for three of West's feature films: Trigger Man (2007), The House of the Devil (2009), and The Innkeepers (2011). The soundtrack album, featuring Grace's original score, was released via digital download by Back Lot Music on the same day as the film's theatrical and VOD release: October 21, 2016.
Distribution
Marketing
On August 17, 2015, the first still image from the film was released in black and white, featuring Ethan Hawke riding a horse. Two more images were released on February 25, 2016, along with a more detailed plot synopsis. In March 2016, the first poster for the film was released by Entertainment Weekly, shortly before its world premiere. The first clip from the film, featuring Hawke and Travolta, was released in July 2016, ahead of its screening at the Fantasia International Film Festival. The official trailer debuted on Entertainment Weekly's website on July 19, 2016.
Release
In a Valley of Violence had its world premiere as a headlining film at South by Southwest on March 12, 2016. The film screened at the Chicago Critics Film Festival on May 25, 2016, followed by a Q&A with West, and the Seattle International Film Festival on May 28, 2016. Prior to its premiere, Focus World acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film, with Universal Pictures set to distribute internationally.
The film was released in the United States, in a limited release and through video on demand, on October 21, 2016. It was initially reported that the film would be released on September 16.
Home media
In a Valley of Violence was released on DVD and Blu-ray by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment on December 27, 2016, with special features including a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film.
The film was released for streaming on Netflix in October 2020.
Reception
Box office
In a Valley of Violence was released to 33 theaters across the United States on October 21, 2016, and made $10,722 in its first day of release. In its opening weekend, the film made $29,343, for a per theater average of $889. Overall, the film made $61,797 in the United States, taking $44,738 in its first week, and $17,059 in its second and final week of release.
Critical response
The film received positive reviews from critics. On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, it received a 78% approval rating, based on 73 reviews, with a weighted average of 6.8/10. The critical consensus reads, "In a Valley of Violence offers a smartly conceived homage to classic Westerns that transcends pastiche with absurdist humor and a terrific cast." Metacritic reports a score of 64 out of 100, based on 20 reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
Andrew Barker for Variety wrote, "Stripping its gunslinger plot down to the most essential pillars, the film has plenty of incidental pleasures to offer: a few chuckles, some typically Westian explosions of violence, a deliriously fun score, and a pair of perfectly solid performances from Ethan Hawke and John Travolta." John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter, who in his review praised the performance of Hawke but found Travolta miscast, wrote of the film, "A genre revival that's always enjoyable, even when suffering a minor personality crisis near the end." Bill Goodykoontz of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film 3 out of 5 stars, writing, "... what makes In a Valley of Violence a notch better than a simple genre exercise is West's sense of fun. Occasionally he overindulges it, but it serves the film well."
