When this came on Tasmanian television, (oh yes) I did have some misgivings about staying up late to watch it. Then the "directed by Johnny Depp" came on and I thought....boy if Brando wasn't in this I am off to bed. But I sat up, watched it, and it one of those films that stays with you. The horror and the torture come later, and it is awful to think of this brave young man subjecting himself to these monsters, but that is the lure of the story I guess. Perfect casting by Depp, cant argue with the direction or the story. It's bleak but somehow beautiful at the same time. Yes it shows the best and worst of humanity. Not something to watch with the family on a movie night, but it does deserve an audience...you will not enjoy it but you will remember it.

A down-on-his-luck American Indian (Johnny Depp) recently released from jail is offered the chance to "star" as the victim of a snuff film...I should first say that I watched the Korean important version, which has over 20 minutes cut from the full version. I am unclear how much difference this makes, but it does seem to create a minor continuity problem here or there. I would gladly watch it again in the full version just to see what I missed.This film captured the 1990s. The darkness, the nihilism. Surely not everyone approached the 90s this way, but industrial music was at its peak, and films like "Seven" and the works of Tim Burton were at the forefront of popular culture...Casting Johnny Depp as an Indian was debatable, of course, as he only vaguely looks the part. But he does bring a certain star power to the film that probably gets it noticed by more people this way. And if Marlon Brando could be Mexican in "Viva Zapata", why can Depp not be Indian here? (In fairness, his great-grandmother was Cherokee, so it is not completely a fabrication... just mostly.)

This is an altogether creepy replication of the inner states of mind that perpetuate themselves in class society. The notion that one should submit to all sorts of violent and humiliating forms of inner degradation which rob you of your life in order to support your family is experienced, in conventional society, as "the reality principle". The vulgar, self-indulgent and pointless, political, power-trip sadism of the bosses -- who are significantly, in this movie, decadent and repulsive, old, rich white men -- is reproduced with force. But then, it's a familiar scene to anyone familiar with certain religious doctrines: the father gives the son the power to do a miracle or two during his last days; but demands the ultimate sacrifice to pay for the "sins" of humanity, this time, not on a cross; but a medieval appearing torture chair, looking very much like a tool from some forgotten Inquisition. Indeed, the seller must pay the price of the sale, even it that seller is a miserable wage-slave trying to create a little temporary happiness in a garbage strewn world, gone to the dogs.The problem with this movie is that it makes you feel more than a bit ill inside and out. You know, at some level, that a parent's sacrificial lamb-like suicide for their child will not help to give their kids a life but will emotionally destroy the next generation and on ad infinitum, by leaving most of humanity with internal psychological scar and legacy which is masochism.Depp plays a Native American in the movie, a brave so to speak. And, he does have courage. He faces death at the hands of his employer. But, in this reviewer's opinion, this brave should have seen a better ending--with the death of the employer, not the implied death of the wage-slave; for in taking that path, a brave only ensures that the poor will always be with us.

Think of many underrated movies out there. "Chaplin", with Robert Downey Jr. Martin Scorscese's "Kundun". Kevin Smith's "Chasing Amy". Or Troy Duffy's "Boondock Saints"."The Brave", based on the novel by Gregory McDonald, is among them. Why the critics at Cannes... canned this film, I will never understand. This film should have been released in the United States, and everywhere else around the world, for it is a sensitive drama that truly shows what an artist Johnny Depp is.Raphael's (or is it Rafael? I'm not sure) love for his family compels him to sign on to star in a 'snuff movie'. For those not in the know, it means he will be killed on camera for money. He hopes this money will be enough to bring his family out of poverty. He takes care of everything in his life before following the trail to his doom.For a first-time director, Johnny Depp does a better job than many big-time directors (Michael Bay? Are you paying attention?). The score by Iggy Pop also helps the film move along. And it's gripping finale outshines other classic endings, like "Planet of the Apes" or "The Sixth Sense".This is easily among my Top 100 Movies of all-time. It's far better than many classic movies and current films around. So if the reason behind its unfair dismissal by film critics is justified, then show me the flaws. Because I can't find any.10 out of 10