the audience applauded

Purely Joyful Movie!

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

There was something about this movie that was haunting. It could be that both Richard Harris and River Phoenix were gone and they were two of my favorite actors, it could be that they were both so good in it and made the best of a film that really didn't have much climax to some characters. Having said that, what I did was just ignore the other storyline and paid attention to the Talbot's and it became real, a real haunting story and it made sense. She needed to be burned and her body to be let go in order for her to be free. She would haunt and torment them until it was done. She wasn't angry at any of them and I believe she even loved him, since both sisters hated the father, but her spirit was angry for not letting her move on. The actress who played Awbonnie was also fantastic. I enjoyed most of this movie and some of it was riveting, however, some of it fell flat. I agree on Dermott's part and acting, what a travesty that was. I'm surprised he was such a bad actor back then. Reading some of the other reviews, I have to say the first one threw me for a loop. People never heard of River Phoenix? Shame on them. I know a lot of people tend to forget about him due to his mother not wanting to do films about him, talk about him, or letting them release a lot of footage and stuff unless she gets paid, but that's downright heartbreaking that someone wouldn't know who River Phoenix is. He was the premier actor of my time. He was the one you watched for, not Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise, but River Phoenix. You waited to see when his next movie was coming out, who he was working with, what his next project was, what interview you could scour up. He was our James Dean. RIP River Phoenix, I would never forget you.

I originally tracked down a copy of this film because it was River's last movie. I'm also a Richard Harris fan. Not surprisingly, I liked it. Great performances by Richard Harris (the father), Alan Bates (the medicine show owner), and of course River Phoenix. The film has a unique and eerie look and feel that's unlike any others I've seen. River's role as the grieving young widower is interesting to watch. Especially since he plays a disoriented, hallucinating character which seems to mirror his real life at the time battling drug addiction and other demons. He even looks high during some scenes (Of course he was a great actor). Granted this movie is not for everyone. The friends & family I've shown it to liked it. I recommend it to any River Phoenix fan and to anyone who enjoys the escape to a different time and place that a good movie like this provides. ~Randawg.

Well, I agree this movie works like those very obscured movies from Europe that leaves you with more questions than answers. But that's the appeal of it. I mean, it's very strange, but you have to understand that the story revolves within a surreal context that the creators want to transmit (just to mention, a talking corpse that you could interpret that works like the conscience of all involved). If you let yourself be immersed in that context, you'll enjoy this movie. It goes beyond that just a `Western' (don't be mislead but such a qualification). Many of the weird images that the movie shows will stick with you, and that, for me, it's a plus for a movie. Please, don't ever see it if you're only in the mood to see clear-straight message movies. Any kind of mood you're in though, you can only appreciate the good job done by all the actors, specially by River Phoenix.like a reminder that he was posed for better things than some of the movies that he made. If you're a River Phoenix fan (or simply a good actor's fan) you won't help by being moved by such a convincing performance, and think of what could have been. I give the movie a 7, and that in my book means a good movie that worths a try. You must be the judge, which means, you must see it.

Silent Tongue is a western about a disturbed young man (River Phoenix) who grows increasingly distraught over the death of his white/Amer. Indian wife. His father (Richard Harris) attempts to purchase the dead woman's sister, with the hope that she will be a consolation to his son.What a peculiar movie! I can't say I liked it because there was nothing enjoyable about it ... on the other hand, I didn't hate it because it had some redeeming qualities. For example, Richard Harris (whom you may, perhaps, remember as English Bob in 'Unforgiven') was quite excellent, and director Shepard certainly had some vision for this picture; however, I can't say with any certainty what that vision was.The film struck me as being about the desperation of grief and rage, and how both manifest themselves when they are not addressed or dealt with. The main characters all want to reverse something that has happened, yet the past cannot be changed. The wrongs they perceive were done against them can never be righted. What can they do with their pain except suffer it? They communicate not so much in words as in hurtful behaviors.The film is not pretty to look at: the landscape is dry and yellow; the characters are begrimed and weary. The things they do and ultimately say are just ... ugly. It's an ugly, disheartening picture in which boorish people are motivated by the simplest of emotions to do base things because they cannot cope with reality.