The German based Western entitled "Snowblind" is pretty much the essence of independent filmmaking of the modern age. It started as a short film, that turned in to a feature length film, uses CGI and animation to compensate for lack of budget and locations, was heavily worked on by its filmmakers for a little bit of money, and is now being released on the net for free in an effort to help raise funds for the directors' next project by donations from pleased viewers, and to hopefully influence fans in to buying the actual DVD and Blu-Ray which is now available for purchase and has better picture quality and the like. That's independent filmmaking right now, people who will work hard, and give their art away for free to anyone willing to see it, as long as they can manage to wrangle in supporters for a bigger project and hopefully garner some extra cash for their newest creative work, and I respect them for that. "Snowblind" is a post-apocalyptic Western, one that takes place after the new ice age where the land has become a diverse warzone toppled with snow and ruled over by dictators and outlaws. Clayton Young is a legendary gunfighter sentenced to be shot down along with other prisoners but at the last moment is called by the vicious governor LaFort and sent on a mission to track down Matthew Saberneck, a man with suspicious motives and a life he's not willing to give up too easily.

For what the budget entails, "Snowblind" is actually a really sharp independent film filled with some wicked special effects that help the unlimited CGI blend in to the story well enhancing the science fiction apocalyptic atmosphere and giving the entire film a gloss of fantasy in this world that mixes cowboys and nomads in one. All the while Kilia Manning's direction is rather superb with action sequences and establishing shots that really soak us in to the land and invoke memories of Sam Raimi's "The Quick and Dead" on many occasions. In spite of its backdrop, "Snow Blind" is a very traditional western due to Kalle Max Hofmann's screenplay channeling classic elements such as a rogue cowboy outlaw, a crooked politician, a gorgeous femme fatale who would seal his fate soon enough, and oodles of great gun fights with blood splashed along the stark white snow. Director Manning has a clear vision of his world and the story of a man with a shady past willing to kill whomever crosses his path, and while "Snow blind" will not break the mold, it's definitely a rousing independent western worth your time.

It's available for free right now on Youtube and Vodo through its official site, so frankly there's almost very little room to complain about its quality if you go in to it voluntarily. As an artistic practice in giving art away in the hopes of attracting buyers, it's your classic creative compromise, but as a film "Snow Blind" is a very ambitious and unique western with traditional archetypes painted along the apocalyptic frozen terrain, and I think this is definitely worth the purchase for fans of the epic Westerns of the bygone era.