esrosedotblog

TODAY'S MOVIE

BOUND FOR GLORY (1976): unflinching look at Woody Guthrie's conflict between fame and family versus the road and the work of a revolutionary. This film is gorgeous and as close a depiction of the dust bowl and depression era as I will ever see. The hundreds of faces are like a Walker Evans album come alive. The vast landscapes and huge crowds are spellbinding.

It is directed by Hal Ashby who had a string of odd and off-center films at this time (take a look at the link). We will be seeing COMING HOME and BEING THERE. He also did THE LAST DETAIL and SHAMPOO.

Guthrie's story is not smooshed up and prettified. He was a tough dude who didn't mind walking away from 'responsibilities'. David Carradine does an eerie job of channeling Woody's spirit and being. He can sing the songs too; or I assume that it is him doing it. We liked it a lot. I will give it a 4 out of Netflix5 just for the pretty pictures and gut pounding depression scenes. The story and acting are extra.

There is a pretty good Woody Guthrie Biography at this site. The movie is pretty true to the story although condensed in time, I think.

This is an addon later: I got thinking about the impact of the film and, yet again, realized that a lot of it has to do with the 'look' of it all. There are three sections: the dust bowl; rendered in a sepia palette with dust in the air always, always, always. It gets you itching. The second part is Los Angeles, bright with promise. The third, which occurs in and out of the film, are the trains; on the trains, in the trains, on top of the cars, in the sidings, long shots way away from the trains; and all of course steam locomotives; lots of wheel shots.

This look is the work of Haskell Wexler, the director and cinematographer. The cameras are IN the dust, ON the trains. We are with it, there right next to Woody. It is great stuff. We will be seeing his work again on COMING HOME also. And more later: ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOOS nest and several others. We forget how important these guys are to the success of a film. Haskell Wexler. What a great name.