Does a film about a sword-fighting, evil-hunting, scenery-chewing 17th century Puritan count as a Thanksgiving movie? Well, even if it doesn't, I think it's time for me to finally knock Solomon Kane off my to-review list, where it's been since I first thought about doing this blog.
The film opens with Kane (James Purefoy) leading a raid on a Northern African fortress in pursuit of plunder. After losing most of his men (and killing one himself for questioning his orders), Kane confronts The Devil's Reaper (Ian Whyte), a demon who has come to take Kane's soul to Hell. Kane escapes and seeks sanctuary in a church, where he repents of his evil ways and renounces violence. However, the monks tell him that he has to leave, hinting that he can do more good out in the world than behind church walls. Now a man of peace, Kane sets forth towards an unknown destination. He can't go back to his home in Devonshire, since his father Josiah (Max von Sydow) disowned him for refusing to become a priest. Not only that, but Kane caught his older bother Marcus trying to rape a girl and accidentally knocked him off a cliff during the ensuing struggle. So Kane is left to wander alone, fearful of straying from the peaceful life he's chosen - otherwise, Satan's minions will drag him to hell. Eventually, Kane is taken in by a Puritan family, the Crowthorns. The younger Crowthorn children, Samuel and Meredith (real-life siblings Patrick and Rachel Hurd-Wood), are fascinated by this battle-scarred traveler. The family patriarch, William (Pete Postlethwaite) is a kindly man who believes that no matter what Kane's done in the past, he's not beyond hope. They invite Kane to join them on their journey to the New World, and Kane accepts, eager for a peaceful life.