This Bloody Crime Thriller Pits Christian Bale Against Woody Harrelson

The Big Picture

• Christian Bale and Woody Harrelson shine in a rural crime drama showdown with raw, chilling performances.
• Out of the Furnace
  ‘s slow-burning revenge thriller explores personal tragedy in small-town America.
• Scott Cooper’s film reflects on loneliness and violence in certain rural communities.

Not every movie with big names is a sure-fire hit, and not every Hollywood production can be a blockbuster. If that were the case, we’d all get bored pretty easily. But when you take blockbuster-level stars and put them in a small, character-driven drama, just about anything can happen. This is especially true in the Scott Cooper film Out of the Furnace, a crime thriller that unites Christian Bale and Woody Harrelson in rural America, where they find themselves at odds after a sudden death. Bale has played superheroes, serial killers, and historical figures, and Harrelson has both the drama and comedy nailed. But in this picture, they’re in rare form as these stars are pitted against one another in a brutal climax that fuels the fires of violence in the Appalachian region.

What Is Scott Cooper’s ‘Out of the Furnace’ About?

Out of the Furnace starts out with Russell Baze (Bale), a Pennsylvanian steelworker who often pays off the debts of his brother, Rodney (Casey Affleck). Russell is a hard worker with a real future with his girlfriend Lena Taylor (Special Ops: Lioness star Zoë Saldana), but all of that changes when he kills a mother and child in a drunk-driving accident. While in prison, Russell’s father dies, his brother is sent to Iraq, and Lena leaves him suddenly for the local police chief, Wesley Barnes (Forest Whitaker), with whom she becomes pregnant. Upon his release, Russell returns to the mill while Rodney is drafted by local bar owner John Petty (Willem Dafoe) into a ring of illegal fights, one of which is run by infamous drug dealer Harlan DeGroat (Harrelson).

But after Petty tells DeGroat that they “even” following Rodney’s latest fight, the drug runner kills Petty and Rodney in cold blood. After his uncle Red (Sam Shepard) receives a voicemail chronicling Petty’s fatal conversation with DeGroat (confirming Rodney’s death), Russell takes it upon himself to avenge his brother. Russell and Red try to take the fight to DeGroat, but to no avail. Though, Russell eventually gets wise and lures DeGroat back to his hometown with the promise of more of Petty’s cash, but DeGroat discovers too late that the whole thing is a trap. Russell arrives to kill DeGroat, armed with a sniper rifle and ready to exact his revenge.

Christian Bale and Woody Harrelson Are a Very Strong Pair

t’s unfortunate that Christian Bale and Woody Harrelson only meet twice in Out of the Furnace, because both instances are filled with enough adrenaline to keep us on the edge of our seats. The tension is palatable, and these actors, who both have an exceptionally wide range, are at their A-game. On the surface, Out of the Furnace is nothing more than a harsh look at poverty and crime in rural Appalachia, but it morphs into a slow-burning revenge thriller with a distinct style that only a filmmaker like Scott Cooper could bring. (Not unlike The Hunted in some respects.) The performances he pulls out of both Bale and Harrelson are raw and chilling, and it’s no wonder that Cooper and Bale would reunite twice more down the line.

Bale’s Russell Baze is filled with complex subtleties that bring American blue-collar culture to life. He’s understated and confident and does his best to care for his family. He makes real mistakes, but they don’t define him, nor does he allow tragedy to, either… not the loss of Lena or the death of his father. Instead, he always aims to do what’s right. That is, until Harlan DeGroat pushes him too far. The first time this pair meet, DeGroat tries to incite conflict with Russell, but to no avail. You could watch the scene blindfolded and still feel the thick tension brewing between them. In a rare moment of restraint, the drug dealer moves on, understanding that he doesn’t have the advantage, as Russell stands his ground.

From the get-go, we see that Harlan DeGroat is not a man to be trifled with. He’s angry, arrogant, and can snap instantly if one so much as looks at him funny. Harrelson is a master at these ticks, and the blank look of disgust he wears throughout the film makes shivers run up and down one’s spine. He’s ill-tempered, cruel and merciless, willing to stack the deck to keep an advantage. DeGroat might be one of the most unlikable and brutal characters Woody Harrelson has ever played, and he manages to pull it off perfectly. There is no sympathy for this devil, and that’s by design. By the time Russell catches up with him, we’re glad the world will be rid of DeGroat forever, and that’s to Harrelson’s credit.

‘Out of the Furnace’s Harsh Climax Reflects the Dangerous World

Throughout Out of the Furnace, which is admittedly a slower burn than some might like, we see strong glimpses into the devolving life of this small town. Run-down buildings, increasing poverty, and the inevitable closing of the steel mill all litter this film with real-world, small-town American problems. In a sense, the town itself becomes both a character and the perfect stage for this battle for the heart and soul of rural America’s future. Russell plows on as men like DeGroat threaten their way of life, only to eventually snap. When Russell finally takes the fight to DeGroat, preying upon his greedy nature and love of violence, we’re not sure how this will end. Sure, he intends to kill DeGroat for murdering Rodney, but the way he does it is unique and brutal, with less action than we’re used to from crime thrillers. It’s personal, and he acts like it.

Russell uses a long-range weapon as opposed to something more intimate, likely because he knows he wouldn’t win in a straight-up brawl with DeGroat. At the same time, his long-winded meditations before pulling the trigger make us wonder if he’s struggling to take a life. Russell has killed once before (by accident) at the beginning of the picture, but when it comes to a deliberate act of violence, he seems to wrestle with the notion while in the middle of armed combat. Upon his follow-through, the film ends with Russell in solitude. His actions might have saved others from falling prey to DeGroat down the line, but his life is as lonely as it’s ever been: no brother, no job, no love. The inevitable results of violent behavior are on full display.

Scott Cooper Weaved His Own Family History Into ‘Out of the Furnace’

Before Scott Cooper took over the director’s chair, Out of the Furnace was originally titled The Low Dweller, with Leonardo DiCaprio cast as the lead and Ridley Scott set to direct. When Cooper was offered the chance to direct, he ended up re-writing much of the original script, embellishing from his own childhood experiences. “As the grandson of a coal miner, growing up in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Appalachia, I understood these people, their values and work ethic,” Cooper told Deadline in 2013, noting also that he lost a sister at a young age and still has a living brother. “That lives with me every day. We come to understand deep loss, and if you’re honest they find their way into your storytelling.”

The film is bookended by Pearl Jam‘s “Release,” a track with deep meaning for the filmmaker. “Out of the Furnace was both very painful and difficult, but also cathartic,” Cooper told Collider in 2014. We see the filmmaker’s catharsis unfold slowly as Russell grieves his brother in both shocking and genuine ways. Likewise, Cooper brings a much-needed authenticity to the geographical region that’s often overshadowed by poor Hollywood portrayals of Appalachia that neglect the working-class folks who live, love, and die there. Evoking more Cormac McCarthy than Deliverance, Cooper dissects the poor conditions of this small town without offering a complete solution or a reliance on stereotypes.

‘Out of the Furnace’s Performances Pack a Punch

Out of the Furnace wasn’t a hit critically or commercially, though Scott Cooper crafted a powerful story with equally powerful performances. Frankly, Bale carries this film, and just like his character, he doesn’t get enough credit for it. The pacing of the movie is a weak spot. Yes, Out of the Furnace takes its sweet time, acting more as a “day-by-day” play than a traditional crime thriller, but it’s that intimacy that makes the picture stand out.

No doubt, Scott Cooper learned from his experience with Out of the Furnace. His 2017 film Hostiles is an incredible Western, and 2015’s Black Mass was both a critical and financial success. Before Out of the Furnace, Cooper directed the Jeff Bridges country music feature Crazy Heart, which likewise had its own share of solid performances and acclaim. But no film of his has felt as personal and introspective as Out of the Furnace. “The working class of America is too under-served in American cinema, and I felt it important to illuminate their plight,” Cooper told Collider. Out of the Furnace is worth revisiting for the performances alone, but the picture it paints of rural America is just as important to hold onto and remember.

Out of the Furnace is available to watch on Tubi in the U.S.

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