The Warrior (DVD 2002)

"The Warrior" never shies away from brutality. Kapidia keeps his film honest. When swords are drawn and people are struck down, it does not happen for our entertainment. This is neither "House of Flying Daggers" nor "Kill Bill," where stylization renders death palpable, even pleasing. When Lafcadia gets his revenge, it is not a moment of triumph. The camera lingers over the image of the corpse just like it showed burned-out skeletons in an earlier sequence. For Lafcadia, another death doesn't solve a thing. Redemption and peace, the warrior finally learns, cannot be achieved through violence.