THE SPAGHETTI Western is alive and kicking in Danish director Kristian Levring’s retro revenge drama, in which Mads Mikkelsen makes a formidable hero as the Danish immigrant Jon.

The Salavation is set in 1871, when he welcomes his wife and young son to the US after seven years apart only for them to be brutally murdered hours later by two strangers.After killing them in revenge, he discovers that one is the brother of the ruthless psychopath Colonel Delarue (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) who then becomes hell-bent on avenging his sibling.

Shot mostly in South Africa, Levring’s tribute to the classic Western pays homage to the works of some of his greatest heroes such as John Ford and Sergio Leone.

He’s produced a riveting, hard-hitting and beautifully crafted film which pits Mikkelsen against the outstanding Morgan, while Eva Green gives a memorable performance as the deadly but mute widow of the man Jon killed, whose captivating green eyes do all the talking.

The final showdown is spectacular and totally satisfying but don’t expect a Nordic-noir twist. This is as old-fashioned a Western as they come.