Vivienne and Holger enjoy silences together and recognize in each other kindred souls. He is a carpenter and she is a fiercely independent flower seller and gardener. They support one another even though they do not always agree with what the other does. They get along so well with a mixture of humor, straightforwardness, and erotic pleasure. Settling in the wilderness of Nevada they enjoy life tending gardens, building homes, and swimming nude beneath waterfalls. This is until the Civil War starts and Holger enlists. Vivienne, alone, can stand up for herself better than most, but being left with a violent spoiled son of a rich rancher may be more than she can handle.
"There are moments we return to in time," said director, composer, writer, and lead actor Viggo Mortensen at the Toronto International Film Festival. He said that his mother was inspiration for this "feminist western." Little Viggo was fascinated by the stories and music of the movies his mom took him to. He didn't intend to take the lead part, but when the man originally hired to take the role stepped out, Viggo took the opportunity. Vicky Krieps (Vivienne) told him to take the part.
This compelling and cute western romance concentrates on select moments of the couple's relationship and jumps back and forth in time. While The Dead Don't Hurt seems rushed at times, I really enjoyed the story, the experienced actors, and the dreamy romance between two lovable characters. The filmmakers even got the birdsongs right (cactus wrens, native to Nevada, warble in the background).
