Dead Man's Burden (2012) - Jared Moshe

Set in the 1870s, in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War, Dead Man's Burden tells the story of Marth and her Husband, Heck, who are struggling to make ends meet on the rough frontier.  A mining company has expressed interest in buying their land, with the couple eager to have a better life.  Things get complicated when Wade, the oldest brother who was thought to have died in the Civil War, returns home after learning of his father's death.  Wade was disowned by his father for defecting to the Union Army but when he returns home he begins to question the true nature of his father's death.  Jared Moshe's Dead Man's Burden is an incredibly simple concept that relies on great character dynamics to tell a thoroughly compelling story.  This is certainly a film that would be classified as slow burning, but it would be entirely unfair to call this film poorly paced.  The character dynamics make this film interesting from start to finish, with a slow building tension between the three main characters which leads to an explosive conclusion.  The strength of the film lies in the character depth with both Martha and Wade being thoroughly explored.  Neither character is shown from a biased point-of-view, with the narrative exploring the reasoning for their decisions, no matter how wrong or right the audience deems them.   The cinematography of Dead Man's Burden is solid, capturing the old western style with cinematography that shows the vast landscapes and the harsh conditions of the smouldering sun.  Jared Moshe's Dead Man's Burden is a great example of how effective low-budget films can be, showing the true power of strong storytelling and character dynamics.
7.75/10

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