an indian runner was more than a courier . he * became * the message he was carrying . what danger is a bear , to a message ? i used to think sean penn was an immature , arrogant , photographer- punching , madonna-marrying , loudmouth . but all that has changed now . the guy has grown up . and that's not all . it seems that sean penn has talents both as a writer and a director , if this film is any indication . one might imagine a movie with plenty of ruthless rage and showy machismo , given penn in charge of bronson and and hopper . but , no . this film is about a real struggle , and the victories and defeats are not simple . penn lets the story unfold at a pace dictated by the lives of the characters , without unnecessary rush or flash . the focus of the story is two brothers . david morse is the brother who has grown up in the small midwestern town in which they were raised , tending a failing farm and finally becoming a police officer . viggo mortensen is the wild brother , whose wild behavior seems to be a reaction to some ancient pain that he can't name , much less resolve . the film picks the story up on the day when mortensen returns from vietnam , and morse coincidentally encounters an armed youth fleeing for the state line . it becomes clear that some kind of conflict threatens the link that the brothers once shared . the film is unobtrusive , simple , direct , plain , and sincere . it isn't exactly perfect , but its sincerity is well invested in the struggle of the two brothers to identify the sickness before it destroys them . life seems to move forward a little faster than they can get a handle on their problems . this is a good film without big budget sets , or big name stars pushed into your face . in fact , i'm reviewing it because i suspect that it may not get much marketing . there were perhaps 10 others at the showing i saw . i thought the structure was clean and not oversimplified , though there are a few free-form sections which also work very well . the obligatory 1960s music seemed a little cliche , but what are you going to do--this movie * does * take place in the 1960s after all . in my opinion , it is worth full-price admission .
