Post by mcallan on Nov 5, 2005 21:02:36 GMT -5
Last week, I got "Bright Leaves" from Netflix. It's the most recent film from solo documentarian, Ross McElwee (Sherman's March). Those who are familiar with McElwee's style know that his films are quirky, personal, meandering and strangely intriguing.
In "Bright Leaves," McElwee travels from Boston to his native North Carolina for a "transfusion of southernness," and, upon his arrival, meets his second cousin, john for the first time. John is a classic film fanatic who owns hundreds of reels of classic Hollywood cinema, has file cabinets full of promotional stills. Eventually, John pulls out a rare print of a long forgotten Gary Cooper film called "Bright Leaf." John is convinced that the film is based on the cousins' great grandfather, John Harvey McElwee, who was a wealthy tobacco tycoon until he was cheated out of his patent by the rival Duke family (yes, the Dukes of Duke University).
From this jumping off point, McElwee explores the rich culture of tobacco in his home state, ruminates over the his family's lost fortune and what that might have meant, and examines our urge to document our lives in home movies, documentaries and Hollywood films. The film thoughtfully examines the question whether film actually slows life down, preserves it. Where does the reality of the home movie, the documentary end and the illusion of film begin? Conversely, How much of Hollywood cinema is infused with the real lives of actors, writers, directors?
If all of this sounds very esoteric, it kind of sort of is. But McElwee's personality, his humor, and the sheer spontaneity of his filmmaking make it accessible, enjoyable, even funny.
Are there any answers? No. Not really. Thant's not the point. Like "Sherman's March," this film is more about the journey than where it eventually leads.
In "Bright Leaves," McElwee travels from Boston to his native North Carolina for a "transfusion of southernness," and, upon his arrival, meets his second cousin, john for the first time. John is a classic film fanatic who owns hundreds of reels of classic Hollywood cinema, has file cabinets full of promotional stills. Eventually, John pulls out a rare print of a long forgotten Gary Cooper film called "Bright Leaf." John is convinced that the film is based on the cousins' great grandfather, John Harvey McElwee, who was a wealthy tobacco tycoon until he was cheated out of his patent by the rival Duke family (yes, the Dukes of Duke University).
From this jumping off point, McElwee explores the rich culture of tobacco in his home state, ruminates over the his family's lost fortune and what that might have meant, and examines our urge to document our lives in home movies, documentaries and Hollywood films. The film thoughtfully examines the question whether film actually slows life down, preserves it. Where does the reality of the home movie, the documentary end and the illusion of film begin? Conversely, How much of Hollywood cinema is infused with the real lives of actors, writers, directors?
If all of this sounds very esoteric, it kind of sort of is. But McElwee's personality, his humor, and the sheer spontaneity of his filmmaking make it accessible, enjoyable, even funny.
Are there any answers? No. Not really. Thant's not the point. Like "Sherman's March," this film is more about the journey than where it eventually leads.