People don't get this film.... *possible spoilers*
I am puzzled by people who don't get this film. The comments I have read on this board are puzzling... it seems that some people are over-rationalizing a film that is by choice abstract and full of symbolisms.
One of the silliest complaints I have read is that the girl in the near-rape scene supposedly should have fought her attacker back, or should have looked for an exit, or looked for weapons, or hid in a dark corner, or scratched the guy's eyes. Trying to rationalize from the comfort of an armchair the behavior of a panicked woman - who has just witnessed several cold-blooded murders and is now being raped - is a simplistic and pointless exercise. She dashed for the door, got wrestled to the ground and pinned down by the rapist. Does anyone really believe she should have done some crazy backflips like the "Transporter" guy?
Some have questioned the motivations of the "woodsmen"... a group of scared and desperate men whose leader is an old Vietnam vet. A traumatized man who feels forgotten and betrayed by his own country and tries to build himself a normal life by working at the local steel-mill, but eventually turns to violence when he gets laid off and has the opportunity for a big-money score. That would be unrealistic? Some have questioned Matt Taylor dropping off the girl on the side of the road just before going on a murderous revenge spree... should he have brought her along?
Some viewers get hung up on futile plot details while missing completely the big picture, the important themes of this film. What this movie does is blurring the lines between good and evil, bewteen heroes and villans, and many viewers are uncomfortable with this. Some of the villains are shown with very human traits, their motivations and back-stories are understandable and relateable, and one can even feel pity for them because they are indeed villans, but they are also victims of society. What I've found intriguing is that both the main villain, Finn, and the "hero", Matt, are actually very similar men, two sides of the same coin (the Special Forces coin being the visual metaphor here). Both men have fought in pointless wars and have deep emotional scars inside. Finn sees a young and naive version of himself in Matt and Matt sees in Finn the tortured and broken man he will eventually become. Had they met on the battlefield, the two men would have probably become best friends, but in the sad and twisted reality of life they happen to became mortal enemies. Matt Taylor, the "hero" of the film, is also shown making some questionable choices that make him less "perfect" and less heroic.
Another thing that makes people uncomfortable watching this film is the absolute lack of "coolness" in violence. Violent acts are seen in a very voyeristic way, often in sigle takes without cuts. This cinematic style puts the audience unflinchingly in the midst of the violence, which seem to go on for an uncomfortably long time. Yes, it can take several minutes for a man to die of strangulation, and no, it's not pretty to watch. And this is exactly the point of the movie. To show that there is no redeeming quality in violence, there is no hip and no cool. Violence is just disturbing and repulsive and "Dark Heart" makes a very powerful anti-violence statement by showing violence for what it really is, disgusting, painful and useless.
The film's message is pretty clear... violence only leads to more violence, whether it's a pointless war, a desperate robbery, or justifiable revenge. The scene where Matt stops at the intersection and silently stares at the left-turn/right-turn sign is a powerful visual metaphor for choosing a path in life and dealing with the consequencs of our decisions. The decision to exact revenge is what leads ultimately to Matt's downfall.
Sometimes there are no happy endings in life, things aren't always perfect, there aren't always pretty resolutions and heroes, the bad guys sometimes get away with it and often there are no winners at all. The end of this film feels like a punch in the guts. And I loved it.
"Dark Heart" is not an easy movie and is not for everyone. Its claustrophobic, violent and hopeless feel penetrates the soul with surreal acid-trip images, giving the viewer the uncomfortable feeling of being held captive just like the protagonist of this film. But the movie is also bold and daring narrative work that has earned numerous awards and nominations at many film festivals.