The Indian Runner
Tags: violence, murder

Plot synopsis:
The story, set in 1960s Nebraska, involves two very different brothers: small-town deputy sheriff Joe and criminal Frank Roberts.
Before the events of the film, Joe had tried to farm for a living, but was unable to make ends meet, and the bank eventually foreclosed on his property. He became a deputy sheriff as a way to support his young wife, Maria, and child. Joe is a good, conscientious man, but has his own demons to fight with. The opening shot of the film shows a car chase which ends with Joe using his gun to kill a man in self-defense. This results in Joe's conflicted feelings about killing the criminal, as well as the praise and scorn from members of his community from this shooting. Frank, who had been involved with run-ins with the law before going to Vietnam, is described by his father as plagued by "restlessness". Upon his return to town, he breaks into his brother's home and is nearly shot by Joe's wife. The next day, Frank leaves town without ever stopping by his parents' home. As Joe states in the narration, Frank was correct in his assessment that his parents would understand, as they always seem to when he hurts those who love him.
Joe does not hear from his brother for some time, but eventually discovers from their father that he is in jail in another state. He had kept the information quiet to avoid upsetting their mother. Frank is then released from prison and returns to his hometown with his pregnant girlfriend, Dorothy. Joe's and Frank's mother dies and their father commits suicide soon after. Frank tries to settle down and works in construction, but keeps getting into trouble with the law, which puts him in conflict with Joe. When the time comes for Frank's wife to give birth, Frank is in a bar "drinking it down," which sparks a confrontation with Joe. After Joe leaves, Frank beats the bartender to death with a chair and drives out of town with Joe on his tail. The film concludes with Joe allowing Frank to escape across the state line.

Review: But it's the magic of the mix of all these and so many more subtleties about the experience of this film that makes it not just a terrific, achingly beautiful thing, moving, illuminating, but, I believe, having revisited it so many times over the last thirteen years (like so very few others among the hundreds seen once), one that is important and bound for a belated re- positioning as a cinematic gem in the history books of the future.Cassavetes is clearly a major force behind this in the best possible way; he'd have stood up and applauded the way Penn took his spirit, his openness and gave it a more cinematic scope, color, pace, size, without compromising his own direct gaze on the human condition.
The moment at the start of the film when Joe's dead victim's father begins singing a work song at the police station still stands out as the revelation that this movie had its own palette.
Brilliant directorial debut from Sean Penn featuring superb performances from Morse and Mortensen..
The rest of the movie features a first rate supporting cast which includes Valeria Golina ('Rain Man') and Patricia Arquette ('True Romance') as the brother's respective love interests, and veterans Dennis Hopper ('Blue Velvet') and Charles Bronson ('Death Wish'), testament to the respect Penn has in the acting community, I'd say.
Valeria Golino didn't have a part this good until `Frida,' Charles Bronson is given room to stretch, Patricia Arquette gives her best performance ever by far (doesn't she look a bit like Robin Wright in this film?), and David Morse is always excellent, I see that he directs TV from his bio, hopefully he'll try a feature soon.
I wasn't the biggest fan of `The Pledge' and actually didn't know that A) Sean Penn had a film like this in him, though I suspected, or that B) he made that film more than 10 years ago.One false step was using someone giving birth for that scene.
David Morse is utterly convincing as a man trying to salvage the last remains of his disintergrating family and the actress who plays his wife is equally good.All I can say is WATCH IT!.
(And like him, there may be times where you don't know what to think of what you're seeing; I think that's true of anything original, or anything that eschews typical film conventions.) But despite that similarity, the film isn't quite real -- the Indian mythos, the narration of David Morse, Viggo Mortenson hopping on a moving train.
The whole picture is imbued with a quiet feeling -- you wish you could show it to those on the right who hate Penn for his outspoken politics, just to prove that he cares deeply about exactly the type of people they think he and his Hollywood friends are against.At first the Indian stuff is a little cheesy, but it leads up to a climax where it really works and feels organic.
More than being an actor who can direct, Penn is at times a real master -- he's got a rare gift of ending films with a real punch, without it being cheap.
You have to have a certain willingness to go along with the story that Penn's telling (many times characters do things that don't make any logical sense, but emotionally it fits), and the semi-metaphysical closing really worked for me.Part of the value is in the chance to see good actors work; it's strange that actors known for their histrionics so often direct films that are completely devoid of showiness in terms of acting.
A great melodrama in a small town during the seventies about two grown-up brothers; Joe (David Morse), is married and a deputy sheriff who seems to be highly devoted to his job.
Frank (Viggo Mortensen), who is the younger one of the pair, comes back from Vietnam even though he has the habit of being a troublemaker.Morse and Mortensen are nothing short of excellent in their performances and are backed up by a solid supporting cast (Valerina Gorlino, Patricia Arquette, Dennis Hopper, Sandy Dennis, and Charles Bronson).
In one scene, he tells Joe while they're sitting out on the porch that he was wrong about Joe marrying Maria (Gorlino), who is Mexican.There another surprise that makes the film more compelling to watch is that it's the directing and writing debut of actor Sean Penn.
The movie was inspired by the Bruce Springsteen song that's called "Highway Patrolman".Anthony Richmond's cinematography is extroadinary and the musical score by the late Jack Nitzsche is very solid."The Indian Runner" presented a rare and very interesting question to me: "Why doesn't any movie director make a film that shows the two sides (bright and dark) of the director themself?"In conclusion, this movie is intelligent and seriously moving.
David Morse is the responsible, straight-laced cop and 'good' brother; Viggo Mortensen, the 'bad' boy, is a former soldier and ex-convict.
Three Libras in this film, all three in the leading roles: David Morse, Viggo Mortensen and Valeria Golino.
I don't like Sean Penn's directing very much, and this early work, The Indian Runner, is no exception.
Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez, Clint Eastwood, Sean Penn, the whole lot seem to produce such fundamentally banal product, ostensibly in some allegiance to honesty, but ending up being, for the most part, glorified pro wrestling matches, and moralistic, almost as if Hallmark cards had developed a line of Hell's Angels greetings, and make me long for the days of Deliverance, which is a fine movie.
One would think that for a first movie, director Sean Penn would avoid the standard story of two brothers, one decent and the other not.
Amazing how some folks think this is some form of Auteur created masterpeice.Great acting and thats the only reason I gave it an extra star.The movie is pointless, turgid and boring; so boring for the first time in years I switched it off 20 minutes before the end and went to bed!Apparently Penn wrote this when he was drugged up and having "problems" so instantly this means its some sort of insiteful classic that has deep and meaningful content - Don't make me laugh!
Perhaps it's no accident that Sean Penn would later go on to star in She's So Lovely, a film written by John Cassavetes and directed years after his death by his son, Nick.
With great characters comes everything else that's needed, and here Penn scores as good as he ever has had in his short but rewarding career as director (this goes up there with the underrated The Pledge).
We see this story unfold of Frankie and Joe, played by Viggo Mortensen and David Morse, one is a Vietnam vet with nothing to win or lose (until he meets a girlfriend, Patricia Arquette plays her), and the other is a cop happily married with a kid.
But one thing is for certain, which is that walking a fine line between peace and anger is a tough one for Frankie, and Joe has little to do but sit back and watch it unfold.Penn takes care writing all of these characters, not just the two principles but also supporting players like those played by Valeria Golino and, in his last serious part, Charles Bronson (sans beard) as the father, who is shook to the core after the death of his wife.
This fine debut from Penn introduces us to the range of underrated actors David Morse and Viggo Mortensen.
Greatly enjoyed this film directed by Sean Penn with a great cast of veteran actors and a very interesting story which starred David Morse, (Joe Roberts) who plays the role as a small town chief of police.
This film starts off with Charles Bronson, (Mr. Roberts) and Sandy Dennis, (Mrs. Roberts) who raised two boys Joe Roberts and Frank Roberts, (Viggo Mortensen).
Frank went to the Viet Nam War and when he returned he met his brother Joe and told him he was not going to live with his father and mother and was going to leave and do just what he wants to do.
Frank has some very serious mental problems and gets into all kinds of problems which cause great problems to his mother and father and it makes his brother Joe worry about him all the time.
Joe and Frank Roberts, are played by David Morse, and Viggo Mortensen respectively.
(David Morse plays Joe with the right amount of understatement and poise.)   Joe tries to break through this shell and Frank in turn would like to have the happiness in life that Joe does.
The final gut-wrenching sequence is perfectly laced with Frank finding importance of family-blood in living a happy life as he twitches with his wedding ring.The evidence of Frank's Indian Runner ghost influence is symbolically woven into the plot from beginning to end with the deer hunt, sound of warlike drums, cigarette smoke signals to the blood-painted warface and the car-running chase scene.It is incredibly unfortunate the Domestic film-going public ignored this classic, due to its European-style frankness toward sexuality and life's realities.
I've often argued with myself whether Sean Penn is a better actor or director, but the truth is he's just as captivating a storyteller whether on camera or behind it, and The Indian Runner is a bold testament to the latter, a somber, tragic family drama that leaves the viewer reeling with it's hard luck characters and sorrowful resolutions.
Most "general" movie watchers would not like this film for the same reasons.Then I watched an interview w/Sean Penn and he said his big influence was John Cassavetes, who had recently passed away.
Time warps aside, Sean Penn should be respected for writing and directing one of the better American films made in the last 38 years..
As I watched this film, for the first time recently, I wondered whether Sean Penn, the writer/director, had been humming that tune as he wrote the script.
That's not meant to be a disparaging question, simply because all ideas have to have a genesis somewhere, and a song actually did inspire this story...Highway Patrol Man from Bruce Springsteen, so I'm told.Thinking about the theme however  redolent of the biblical clash between Cain and Abel, perhaps  I can't but feel that while Penn might have set out to make a fundamental statement about why some people do bad things, he ended up showing, instead, that a failure to come to terms with the world is merely an indication of immaturity, a failure to leave childhood behind.
To that extent, the film succeeds, but it may have been unintentional.The story, as implied, is well recognized: a good brother (Joe, played by David Morse)  who is a cop  tries to help his younger and wild brother (Frank, played by Viggo Mortensen) overcome his inner demons upon his return from the Vietnam war, in 1963 or thereabouts.
Eventually, there is a parting of the ways.What makes the film distinctive is, first, the very competent acting by Morse, Mortensen, Valeria Golino as Joe's wife, Maria, and Patricia Arquette as Dorothy, Frank's girlfriend.
In the context of Frank's psychology however, I think Penn stretched the metaphor way out of proportion to the reality of the action.Unless, of course, Penn's own philosophy is fundamentally nihilistic and hence much like Frank's...Technically, though, the film is well done, with excellent editing and special effects; add to that, a host of old country and western oldies on the sound track, perfectly in keeping with small town America.I very much admire Morse and Mortensen as actors, the latter reminding me of a young Jack Nicholson, while Morse has the size and demeanour of a young Martin Milner.
But, then, the author of said, yawn, fable has NEVER established credits beyond weirdness, per se, including Jack Nicholson as the mad "writer."On second viewing, I see that I cannot add another "star," but fact of the matter is that Sean Penn's work here is absolutely masterfu, the subtleties, the ironies, the absolutely bang-on details of observation and "truth." And Morse is as fine as Mortensen, whose "Franky" is scarier than today's Russian mafioso in "Eastern Promises," and he was sporting tattoos way back when.
Lighting, soundtrack, locations and sets are superbly chosen leaving one to ponder that this appears to be a film from a well-seasoned director and not just a first attempt.As a last comment I found it very interesting how as the film progresses past the first hour Viggo Mortensen is almost transformed into a Sean Penn character in both looks and actions.
Sean Penn's debut as director/writer is a rather uneven affair that in the end does seem to have more good points than bad.
Mortensen has had a varied career, alternating from the aforementioned slimy roles to the aforementioned hero role to Satan in "The Prophecy" and even a dull, businessman-like deputy in "Young Guns II," and "The Indian Runner" is certainly part of that, as he gives a charismatic and interesting performance of a man who wants to be good and we can see it, but he just can't do it.
The only other actor whose performance needs special mention is Charles Bronson, as the one-time tough guy uses very little screen time to create a perfect sad, lonely old man who feels like he has no purpose on earth--he was surprisingly excellent.
David Morse meanwhile does what he can with a generally dull role that is never allowed to develop the complexities that seem possible, Patricia Arquette manages to be as child-like and annoying as possible, Dennis Hopper stands out as a somewhat bizarre presence but doesn't steal too much attention, and Valeria Golino is cute in a role that requires nothing else.One other point that I have to make is that much of the music in the film was terribly distracting.
Like a few moments in David Lynch's "Lost Highway" and most of Cameron Crowe's "Vanilla Sky," some bad music and out of place music really reduced the enjoyment of the film as a whole.All told, "The Indian Runner" is a character drama, so don't look for excitement, but a very well-acted one.
While at times Penn doesn't seem to know where he wants to focus, he doesn't completely lose the film and Viggo Mortensen's fantastic performance keeps us interested and entertained despite the repetitious and formulaic storyline.
Don't watch it if you're tired, but if you want to see antisocial personality disorder in action or fine acting from Charles Bronson and Viggo Mortensen--two men now better known for their heroic, rather unemotional work--this film won't disappoint..
Like many others, I saw this because I'm a huge fan of Viggo Mortensen, but it's worth seeing not only for his performance.This is a sad yet beautiful story showing how some people just can't overcome the violence inside them.I agree that the childbirth scene is unnecessarily graphic, but other than that, this is an amazing film for a first-time director..
Sean Penn directed this film with a light-handedness that would hide the fact that it was his first time as a director...the characters and story pull each other along naturally, with no phony, inserted twists that lead to a quick climax (which many Hollywood films use to "speed it along").
As Sean Penn's first film in the director's chair, I thought this movie was absolutely fantastic.
A moving story about two brothers who are as different as night and day, this film is well-acted, well-written, and boasts some excellent songs from David Lindley as well.
Sean Penn's THE INDIAN RUNNER is a very carefully drawn character study about two brothers.
Penn was 30 when he made this movie,and it seems to be a mature director's work.Although it takes place in America,it has an European sensitivity;in a nutshell,it recalls John Cassavetes (to whom the film is dedicated) and Kenneth Loach.
Frank was a Vietnam veteran,but never Penn uses it as an excuse or an explanation as far his behavior is concerned:no flashbacks,no bad dreams,no hints at the war he had to fight,no clichés.Joe is a good man,he's an Abel who wants his brother to find his "delicate balance" although he does know it's impossible.It seems that this impossibility has its roots in childhood,as Penn insists on the picture of the little boy dressed as a cowboy with a pair of revolvers.Some are born to endless night,some are born to sweet delight.
So Viggo - Frank whigs out for no particular reason and beats his pal Ceasar to death after good Joe the Cop leaves.So Joe has chase his bad brother down and I was so hoping that he would do the right thing and blow that menace to society away.
One of the most vivid images from the album is the closing verse of the song Highway Patrol Man, from which Sean Penn's directorial debut, The Indian Runner, was inspired.''It was out at the crossroads, down round Willow bank Seen a Buick with Ohio plates behind the wheel was Frank Well I chased him through them county roads till a sign said Canadian border five miles from here I pulled over the side of the highway and watched his taillights disappear.''Penn's film, which he also scripted, begins with the narrator of the Springsteen song, Joe Roberts (David Morse) preparing for the return of his wayward brother, Frank (Viggo Mortenson) from Vietnam.
The cast of supporting characters make up the rest of Joe's family, his wife (Valeria Golino) and his Mother (Sandy Dennis) and Father (Charles Bronson).
Dear Sean Penn, this is your best film in the role of a writer-director.
A few over-the-top sad songs are not to my personal liking, apart from that the music score works very well.A police officer, Joe (played by David Morse) tries to do the right thing.
Sadly, his little brother Frank (Viggo Mortensen) is too far gone.I find this movie to be an important reminder that there are people like Frank out there, and just staying away from them is for the best.