The State of New Mexico should be listed as an additional star of this movie. Filmed entirely within its borders, the locations, from the Rocky Mountains to the beautiful but forbidding desert, are as much a part of the story as the characters themselves.

I’ve never been much for symbolism and frequently think it’s drummed-up by folks bent on finding deeper meaning behind words and settings. Nevertheless, even I could draw a parallel as the characters battle the ‘hell’ of deadly freezing temperatures in the mountains and searing heat in the desert, all the while also battling the ‘hell’ of their inner fears and hatreds toward one another. Either threat can ultimately end in death, the one physical and the other spiritual.

Pierce Brosnan’s character flees with his demons to these mountains, far away from the deeds he has committed as a soldier ‘on orders’ during the Civil War. He is alone when the story opens. He has no one. Out of nowhere comes Liam Neeson’s character, who has employed five men to help him track and capture Brosnan alive. He is a very harsh and hardened man with only one reason to exist – settling things with Brosnan. We do not know what terrible thing Brosnan could have done, real or imagined, that would incite such hatred. Eventually, of course, we learn.

Be prepared. This movie is all about the relentless chase, and it is one long, long chase. It is not an action movie and it does not move fast in that sense. It has some gore, and that part is not for the faint of heart.

This movie has tremendous appeal on several layers: The parallels drawn between the harshness of nature and the harshness of man. The eventual promise of healing of broken spirits. The wonderful characterizations of Brosnan and Neeson. The beautiful scenery which is more than a backdrop to the action. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think you might, too.