![]() One of the interviewees, Lucy Sante, even audibly wonders how she got on a certain train of thought as she is relating a story. If this review seems a little scattered and clumsy, it is because it is an intentional recreation of the tone and direction of "Desperate Souls." The movie’s direction is not unfocused but is very non-linear in its presentation, allowing it to meander from subject to subject with loose connections. In one scene, Charles Kaiser notes that the gay pride movement “co-opted” the ideals and used them “unfortunately, better than the civil rights movement” in furthering their agenda. The documentary then shifts to a discussion of the civil rights movement, starting with the death of JFK. Schlesinger, a closeted homosexual who flirted with communism and was nearly banned by Hollywood, was buoyed by the confidence he received with "Midnight Cowboy" would later release "Sunday Bloody Sunday," a story that depicts what was called one of the most open and honest on-screen portrayals of homosexuality. When the film abruptly shifts gears to speaking about John’s homosexuality and the impact of the world upon him, we begin to understand the motivations that he and writer Waldo Salt had in creating the relationship between the movie's stars. Schlesinger began in Europe and was exposed to the work of other creatives like John Richardson, who used a certain reality in making their films, a style Schlesinger adopted. Like other modern horror movies of this kind, such as Cube, Buried, the recent Spanish movie The Platform, or the well-known saga Saw, Meander succeeds in causing an unpleasant effect upon the spectator. Director Mathieu Turi is capable of creating an oppressive ambience by playing his cards right. The war is cited as the major factor in turning the world from the happy-go-lucky land of movie musicals to gritty reality-based films like "Midnight Cowboy" that did not flinch from portraying the city of New York in its reality. Everything in Meander is dark and claustrophobic. The first examination in the film is how the Vietnam War framed it. "Midnight Cowboy" lived at the nexus of a war, the civil rights movement, and the early beginnings of the gay rights movement. Yet, "Desperate Souls" only lightly touches on the creation of "Cowboy." Instead, this film spends most of its time investigating the era during which it was made. ![]() When the documentary opens with a closeup of Jon Voight, recalling an existential crisis by director John Schlesinger after the completion of "Midnight Cowboy," the film almost implicitly states that it will be about the creation of that film. It features Jon Voight, Bob Balaban, Brian de Palma, Charles Kaiser, Lucy Sante, Brenda Vaccaro, the voice of John Schlesinger, and many others who either were in "Midnight Cowboy," involved in its production, or were admirers of the film. Wrapped loosely in the packaging of a documentary, "Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of the Midnight Cowboy," is written and directed by Nancy Buirski. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |