an indian runner was more than a courier . 
he * became * the message he was carrying . 
what danger is a bear , to a message ? 
i used to think sean penn was an immature , arrogant , photographer- punching , madonna-marrying , loudmouth . 
but all that has changed now . 
the guy has grown up . 
and that's not all . 
it seems that sean penn has talents both as a writer and a director , if this film is any indication . 
one might imagine a movie with plenty of ruthless rage and showy machismo , given penn in charge of bronson and and hopper . 
but , no . 
this film is about a real struggle , and the victories and defeats are not simple . 
penn lets the story unfold at a pace dictated by the lives of the characters , without unnecessary rush or flash . 
the focus of the story is two brothers . 
david morse is the brother who has grown up in the small midwestern town in which they were raised , tending a failing farm and finally becoming a police officer . 
viggo mortensen is the wild brother , whose wild behavior seems to be a reaction to some ancient pain that he can't name , much less resolve . 
the film picks the story up on the day when mortensen returns from vietnam , and morse coincidentally encounters an armed youth fleeing for the state line . 
it becomes clear that some kind of conflict threatens the link that the brothers once shared . 
the film is unobtrusive , simple , direct , plain , and sincere . 
it isn't exactly perfect , but its sincerity is well invested in the struggle of the two brothers to identify the sickness before it destroys them . 
life seems to move forward a little faster than they can get a handle on their problems . 
this is a good film without big budget sets , or big name stars pushed into your face . 
in fact , i'm reviewing it because i suspect that it may not get much marketing . 
there were perhaps 10 others at the showing i saw . 
i thought the structure was clean and not oversimplified , though there are a few free-form sections which also work very well . 
the obligatory 1960s music seemed a little cliche , but what are you going to do--this movie * does * take place in the 1960s after all . 
in my opinion , it is worth full-price admission .