Silent Tongue

The lone lure of this supernatural Western is a truly possessed performance by River Phoenix in his last completed role.

An alternately infuriating and exhilarating example of the Western as an art film.

A strangely satisfying and challenging piece of work, one that illustrates how elements of cinema, literature and theater can work in tandem, thanks to a recipe that is one part Poe and two parts Shakespeare.

Too often, the mystical mise-en-scene and strange doings are left to speak for themselves, as though Shepard hopes that his film will be assumed to be profound because it is incomprehensible.