The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands

Author(s): James Somerton
Location: Canada

"The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands"

Directed By David Lynch
Written by David Lynch & Stephen King
Based on his novel.

Main Cast
Viggo Mortenson as Roland; The Last Gunslinger
Tobin Bell as Randall Flagg; The Man in Black
Collin Farrel as Eddie Dean
Tracie Thoms as Susanna Mia
Benicio Del Toro as Blaine

Tagline: "Never Forget the Future"

Synopsis: A rumbling locomotive tears through the silence of the desert like a bullet through flesh. Roland, Eddie, and Susanna continue to make their way through the vast waste lands of Mid-World. Susanna's wheel chair has been destroyed and so Eddie must now hold her on his shoulders in order for her to get around. Roland pays little attention to the two of them as they near the mountain town of Calla. There is something there he must learn.When they reach the town, they find it completely abandoned. There is not even a single trace of life. The only proof that people ever lived here is a diary found in a small house on the eastern outskirts of the town. In this diary, they learn of what happened to the people. The wolves came and they devoured each and every new born baby until the people withered and died without anyone to take their place. he last vestige of hope destroyed by the ravenous appetites of beasts.The smoke billows from atop of the head of the locomotive as it grows closer and closer.Roland continues on his journey with Eddie and Susanna in toe. Again, he barely speaks to them. About fifty miles outside the city they spy a screaming infant; naked and worn by the desert winds. Maternal instincts overcoming her, Susanna hops down off of Eddie's shoulder and hurls herself over to the child by way of her powerful arms. This child is burnt black with blood dried to every inch of its body. Yet it still lives. Here they are attacked by "the wolves". Men dressed in red armor with wolf-like helmets. Roland fires six bullets into the eyes of his attackers while Eddie huddles over Susanna. The "wolves" flee but not before putting the infant out of its misery. The tracks cringe underneath the death-faced train as it thunders past the mountains and into the town of Calla.Roland, Eddie, and Susanna run through the desert after the fleeing "wolves". Three words spoken by their leader have sent Roland into a mist of insanity that frightens Eddie and Susanna. "The Dark Tower" he said before running off in the other direction. When Roland, Eddie, and Susanna reach their hide away, there shall be a great battle. Many lives will be lost but the mystery of where Roland's Dark Tower is located, with finally be solved. The train screeches to a stop just outside of Calla.

What the Press would say:
"The Waste Lands" is the darkest film in "The Dark Tower" series by far. With some of the most disturbing visuals, and darkest character moments, I was left in awe by how the series has progressed since "The Gunslinger". This is such a different film from both of it's predecessors that one can almost walk into this movie without knowing anything of the two before it. The cast is once again amazing, with only one new addition to the cast this time around. Benicio Del Toro joins the cast as Blain, leader of "The Wolves". His face is never seen but his dark voice makes it way through the metal mask and haunts your thoughts as he speaks. His character may be the most important one in Roland's story, next to the man in black. In the end, it is Blain that reveals to Roland where it is that he must go, and just how to go about getting there. Viggo Mortenson once again gives the most powerful performance in the film, as Roland dissolves into a sort of madness half way through the movie. A madness that isn't resolved until very near the end of the film. The end of the film is one of the most hard hitting and shocking ending I have ever seen. After seeing Eddie and Susanna develop a sort of quasi romance throughout the first half of the film, we must witness their untimely end. Eddie and Susanna are both killed in such horrible ways that Most people in the theatre had to turn away. It is only after the horrendous deaths of his two companions that Roland finds out the true location of The Dark Tower; a mythical structure that The Man in Black had spoken of before firing at Roland on the beach. When he returns to Calla with Eddie and Susanna's dead bodies he is faced with something shocking; a giant locomotive breathing smoke and beckoning him to come aboard. When he does, we watch the train thunder off into the distance as the credits role. David Lynch once again gives us a look into the disturbing world of The Dark Tower and, once again, leaves us hanging. One more film and we will get to see how Roland's journey ends.

Possible Nominations:
Best Picture
Best Actor - Viggo Mortenson
Best Supporting Actress - Tracie Thoms
All technical Categories