Solomon Kane was created by Robert E. Howard, the same man invented Conan the Barbarian. Kane was a 17th century Puritan who wanders the world fighting evil. He was described as a “somber and gloomy man of pale face and cold eyes”. He was almost always dressed in black and carried an arsenal consisting of a rapier, a cutlass and a flintlock pistols. Hugh Jackman portrayed a character named Van Helsing in a 2004 campy horror movie that was heavily influenced by Solomon Kane.
The “Red Shadows” story was published in 1928. Kane was traveling in France and came across a group of bandits attacking a young girl. The girl dies in his arms and he swears to avenge her death, traveling to Africa after the bands leader, Le Loup. Howard never published an origin for Kane. This movie was created by the writers and Michael J. Bassett, the film’s director. The pulp magazine character was portrayed by James Purefoy (Ironclad, Camelot) and the story is one of redemption.
The film begins in North Africa, 1600, with, Solomon Kane, leading the crew of his ship into battle against the Ottoman occupiers of a fortress town. After defeating the Ottoman defenders, Solomon and his men enter the fortress, only to enter a room of enchanted mirrors. Demons trapped within the mirrors attack and kill most of the crew, but Solomon fights his way into the throne room of the fortress. Inside, as he helps himself to the fortress's treasure, a large demon dressed in hooded black robes and armed with a flaming sword appears. The demon announces itself as the Devil's Reaper and tells Solomon his evil deeds have irrevocably damned his soul and a deal has been made and he is now destined for Hell. After a brief duel, Solomon cries "I am not yet ready for Hell!" and leaps from the throne room window into the sea. As he falls to safety, the Reaper vows his soul will be the Devil's. This is one of the many scenes that will impress you with this movies 40 million dollar budget.
This encounter has a humbling effect on Kane as he returns home to England and finds sanctuary in a monastery. However, due to the Abbot's dreams, Solomon is soon expelled and sent back to his ancestral estates in Devon, where Solomon has not been since his father disowned him. Along the way, he is ambushed by robbers and, has taken a vow of non violence. He is robbed and knocked unconscious. He is found and treated by the Crowthorns, a family of puritans heading west to travel to the New World. He travels with them and makes quite an impression on young Samual (Patrick Hurd-Wood). The group come across a village that was destroyed by an ancient evil and the only survivor is a helpless little girl. Kane realizes there is more to this “girl” than meets the eye. The girl revealed her true form when a holy relic was forced upon her. The witch that destroyed the village manages to escape Kane’s wrath.
The family is later ambushed by the corrupted followers of the sorcerer Malachi and his brutal lieutenant, the Masked Rider. Most of the family is killed, except Meredith (Rachel Hurd-Wood), who is kidnapped, and her mother Katherine (Alice Krige). Kane renounces his pact of non violence with God when Samual has a knife to his throat and is mercilessly slain right before his shocked eyes, an enraged Solomon charges into battle, killing several. The head of the family, William Crowthorn (Pete Postlethwaite), declares as his last words that Solomon's soul will be redeemed if he rescues Meredith. Solomon then gives chase for Meredith and his soul. I was very impressed with this cast. They didn't do it for the money that is evident. They did it for the exceptional writing and realistic characters. Postelthwaite shows his exceptional acting ability as a good Puritan father trying to make a better life for his family.
On his quest, he meets a deranged priest (Mackenzie Crook) who informs him Malachi's followers are taking the weaker survivors of their raids as slaves, while corrupting the strong into soldiers. The priest tries to feed Solomon to his parishioners, who have become zombie like monstrosities. Solomon narrowly escapes, only run into the robbers who attacked him earlier, who have been turned by the Rider into soldiers of Malachi. Assuming Kane was still a man of peace, they attacked him with deadly force. It was very satisfying to see Kane kill them all but one, who he “questions”. Solomon is told that Meredith is dead. Solomon refuses to believe this and angrily leaves the robber for the undead to feed on.
Solomon comes to a village, where he heads to an Inn and drinks to excess, his soul now definitely damned for not saving the girl. Former shipmates recognize him and try to recruit him as a leader of a resistance against Malachi. Kane refuses. However, Malachi's followers hear of this and attack the Inn at dawn, crucifying any members of the attempted resistance movement including Kane. As they move away, a cart containing Meredith passes behind them. She recognizes Kane and calls out. He realizes that he still has a chance to save her and pulls himself off the cross. Before Malachi's remaining men can kill him, they are killed by survivors of the resistance, who take Solomon to safety.
Kane is treated with magic by an old pagan witch and is soon ready to return to the pursuit. The resistance explains some of Malachi's background (that he was once a priest who became a sorcerer to gain power) and reveal that he now lives in Kane's ancestral home. Kane leads them into the castle via an underground passage where he meets the village witch again. She didn’t escape this time. As the resistance fights Malachi's soldiers, Kane heads for the dungeons and frees many of the captives. He does not find Meredith, but he does find his father, Josiah Kane (Max Von Sydow) emaciated and locked in unbreakable magic chains. His father explains that the Masked Rider is really Kane's older brother Marcus Kane, whom Kane thought he had killed in an accident shortly after he was banished as a teenager. Marcus was, however, only severely injured and left in a coma: after the priests and healers failed to awake him, Solomon's father turned to Malachi, who brought Marcus back to life: however, Marcus was horribly disfigured and left subservient to Malachi, who turned Marcus into his enforcer: the Masked Rider. At his father's request, Solomon reluctantly shoots him dead and heads to the throne room to confront Malachi. Purefoy and Von Sydow's scene is some of the best acting I have ever seen in any film.
In the throne room, Kane confronts Malachi (Jason Flemyng), who remarks everything that has happened to Solomon was meant to lead him to this place before disappearing. Solomon also finds Meredith caged in the throne room: before she can warn him it is a trap, Marcus stabs Solomon in the back with his sword. Despite his injury, Solomon pleads with his brother, but his cries fall on deaf ears so he grudgingly draws his sword and the two brothers fight to the death: after a lengthy battle, Solomon sets fire to Marcus and decapitates him. At the same time, Malachi uses Meredith's "innocent blood" to open a portal, thus releasing a demon sent to claim Solomon's soul, which attacks Kane. After a desperate fight, Kane shoots Malachi in the head, and all three souls (Kane, Malachi and the demon) are apparently pulled into Hell. It transpires that Kane, in saving Meredith from Malachi, redeemed his soul and so escapes Hell. Meredith travels to America with her mother, while Solomon, after burying his father and brother, declares that evil exists elsewhere in the world and that he will put an end to it.
This is one of the best CBM’s of all time. If you haven’t seen it, I strongly suggest you watch it. It had an incredible cast and the cinematography was mind blowing. Every actor played their part perfectly and very believable, even the minor supporting cast members. The only thing that could have made this better would have been a United States theatrical release. Solomon Kane proves you don't need a big hollywood budget to make a masterpiece. This is right up there with Iron Man and The Dark Knight, if you don't believe me watch it..... then watch it again!!
Just look at this impressive cast!
James Purefoy as Solomon Kane (Ironclad, Camelot)
Max von Sydow as Josiah Kane (The Exorcist, Flash Gordon, Shutter Island)
Rachel Hurd-Wood as Meredith Crowthorn (An American Haunting, Peter Pan)
Mackenzie Crook as Father Michael (Pirates of the Caribbean, City of Ember)
Pete Postlethwaite as William Crowthorn (The Usual Suspects, Inception, Clash of The Titans)
Alice Krige as Katherine Crowthorn (Star Trek: First Contact-Borg Queen, Silent Hill)
Jason Flemyng as Malachi (X-Men: First Class, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen)
Ian Whyte as The Devil's Reaper (Clash of The Titans, Predators)
(Information provided by wikipedia)