Damsel, written and directed by David and Nathan Zellner 8 out of 10

Damsel, written and directed by David and Nathan Zellner
8 out of 10


Damsel is an amusing, intriguing, at times absurd motion picture.

It was classified as a western, but apart from the geography of the film and a few gun shots and and arrow shot by a Native American, there is little that this feature has in common with The Wild Bunch or Red River.
Samuel Alabaster is in love with Penelope.

He would do anything to marry her.
Samuel has brought form far away a miniature horse, Butterscotch, that is very rare and expensive.

He will give it as a gift to his bride-to-be.
The hero brings over a man who would conduct the religious ceremony of matrimony, Parson Henry aka David Zellner, one of the writers - directors of this fine motion picture.

The young aspiring groom is enchanted, elated at the thought that he would soon meet and marry his loved one.
On the way, they encounter Rufus Cornell aka the other writer - director, probably the two are brothers.

Samuel hates this man and pushes him into a ravine, thinking he died.
They continue to the middle of this forest, where in a clearing, Penelope lives.

Using his rifle, Samuel Alabaster kills his most important rival, who had had no idea this was coming.
Alas, shots are fired from the house...which is actually more like a cabin.

Eventually, an infuriated, aghast, violent and full of grief woman comes out from the cabin.
This is Penelope aka Mia Wasikowski.

She is terribly upset, mad really, because she loved the departed.
Penelope makes it clear that she was very happy.

This is both confusing and amusing.
Samuel has come to find his loved one, but she loved someone else.

She had no intention to marry him, which is logical given her love for someone else.
Penelope shoots the man who has killed her beloved and Samuel Alabaster dies in the most gruesome, absurd, abject place of all...

In the privy, the outhouse.

Parson Henry is now in danger, for the Damsel is still mad with pain.
He tries to explain and absolve himself of any guilt, explaining that he had no knowledge of the reality.

The late Samuel had told him that it is all arranged and all he needs to do is to perform the religious rites.
There are quite a few scenes where the audience laughs, for in all this tragedy, the pain of the protagonists can be ridiculous.

The pastor tries to get close to the woman, only to get not just rebuked, but most likely a broken nose.
Then the preposterous brother in law appears, for he had not died.

He wants revenge for the death of his brother.
He attributes the assassination to a conspiracy organized by his widow.

A Native American has the wrong impression watching this confrontation and he decides to act...
A good, entertaining film.