The main story is simple. A man (River Phoenix) is mad with grief over the passing of his wife. His madness leads him to cling to her desiccated body. His father (Richard Harris) who arranged the marriage and purchased the wife now plots to kidnap the deceased wife's sister to try and break the spell that his son is under. And then things get supernatural.
But there is a lot of backstory here as well: the traveling carnival show that sells the worthless alcoholic patent medicine is home to the man who fathered the two sisters by raping their mother, Silent Tongue (brilliantly played by Tantoo Cardinal). The younger sister is part of the show's entertainment, riding her horse and doing tricks for the audience. But the tour de force here is Sheila Tousey as the unquiet ghost of the dead wife Aubonnie, who reveals much in her conversations with her husband (Phoenix). The final denouement where the father throws the body of the dead wife into the fire, and she radiantly emerges, at peace, before disappearing, is powerful. And the patent medicine father finally faces his sins as he's captured by Silent Tongue's people; she watches at a distance as they take him away. The traveling show regroups and continues down the road, along with everyone else in the film.
It's a slow paced movie, but it's more likely that life out in the remote and rural west was slow paced, and nothing like the constant action in modern westerns. Beautifully shot in New Mexico, the broad landscapes and big skies add to the feeling and depth of the film. If you like your western tales on the slow, brooding, and thoughtful side, this is worth your time.
But there is a lot of backstory here as well: the traveling carnival show that sells the worthless alcoholic patent medicine is home to the man who fathered the two sisters by raping their mother, Silent Tongue (brilliantly played by Tantoo Cardinal). The younger sister is part of the show's entertainment, riding her horse and doing tricks for the audience. But the tour de force here is Sheila Tousey as the unquiet ghost of the dead wife Aubonnie, who reveals much in her conversations with her husband (Phoenix). The final denouement where the father throws the body of the dead wife into the fire, and she radiantly emerges, at peace, before disappearing, is powerful. And the patent medicine father finally faces his sins as he's captured by Silent Tongue's people; she watches at a distance as they take him away. The traveling show regroups and continues down the road, along with everyone else in the film.
It's a slow paced movie, but it's more likely that life out in the remote and rural west was slow paced, and nothing like the constant action in modern westerns. Beautifully shot in New Mexico, the broad landscapes and big skies add to the feeling and depth of the film. If you like your western tales on the slow, brooding, and thoughtful side, this is worth your time.