Red Dirt

This film is as slow as turning a nearly-empty bottle of molasses on its side, and watching it run down for two hours; a real waste of time.

Despite its beautiful photography and numerous outdoor scenes, there is a constant claustrophobic feel, probably due to the small cast; it has a wierd "inbred" feeling. The characters don't seem like they are part of their surroundings. Whenever Karen Black is on the screen, its like she is pulling energy out of everything around her.

Its not really a "gay" film - the characters certainly don't consider themselves gay; there is no male-male sex (but some straight sex scenes). The sudden claims of male love come out of nowhere, and just aren't very believable. There is potential dynamite in the sub-text of a man and a woman competing for the affections of the lead male character, but it never catches fire here. The ending appears to be trying for some kind of "nobility of denial" as the characters avoid acting on their feelings, but it never really resolves.

No doubt this film has great personal resonance for the film-maker, and presumably for other rural Southern gay guys stuck on farms (who are unlikely to know it exists!). Ultimately its a not particularly interesting failure. I think that the film-maker just pulled too many punches, and either couldn't or wouldn't make the film this could have been.

Red Dirt takes place in a tiny rural community in southern Louisiana along the banks of the Mississippi River and revolves around Griffith. Full of angst, Griffith longs to leave this seething cess pool after graduating from high school, but feels he should stay and watch after his Aunt Summer (or as he says, 'Summuh') who raises him like a mother after Grif's parents. Summer is mentally ill...perhaps depression or bi-polar...and mostly stays cooped up in her room listening to depressing opera music. When he's not working around the farm or taking care of his aunt, Griffith hangs out with his cousin, Emily. Things change when a young drifter, Lee, strolls in and befriends Griffith.

The southern accents are slathered on a little thick to put it nicely. Normally, I can understand someone with a deep southern accent, but I frequently had to stop and replay the DVD to catch some of the dialogue. Some scenes are portrayed a bit over-dramatic as well...mostly the ones with Summer. There were several times I couldn't help but bust out laughing over the contrived dialogue and acting which is not necessarily a good thing for a dramatic movie such as this. Maybe this particular rental DVD had some scratches on it, but I came across some very noticeable jump cuts.

You have to wade through a lot of character development to get to see anything remotely gay, and then, seemingly, Griffith comes to terms with himself overnight. We see a quick male-on-male kiss and that's the end of that. To Tag Purvis' credit, the controversial issues are presented very matter-of-fact.

What can I say about the ending without giving it completely away? The characters that are complacent enough with living here move out, and the characters who long to leave wind up staying. No real explanation is given.

Overall, the ending seemed hasty and unsatisfying after sitting through a lot of beautiful cinematography. If you have ever longed to get out of the place and situation you are in and discover your true potential elsewhere, but kept coming up with excuses to stay...probably due to the fear of the unknown..., you will see yourself in this movie. Otherwise, move along. There is nothing to see here.

If you enjoy being spoon-fed at the theater or in front of your television, then this movie isn't for you. If you are offended by a subtle gay storyline however non-offensive it may be, then perhaps a night out at Hooters would be better suited for you. But if you think you might enjoy a movie with interesting Southern characters, set amidst some fine beauty from the southern part of the U.S., then this flick might be for you. The direction IS just fine and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked the characters. Karen Black is a real treat here.

I saw this film in New York after reading a good review in "The Village Voice." Like the film, I was raised in Mississippi and it seems that way too often Southern depictions lack the sense of place that is so much a part of life there. With this film, the thick air is not missing. You could clearly taste its presence here. It was wonderful to see it portrayed in a way that had the courage to be slow.

Karen Black was amazing, and her performance should have really received attention from the Academy. I know that her past work has included many fine Southern roles, including perhaps most notably in "Five Easy Pieces" and Altman's "Back to the Five and Dime" but truly this had to be the performance that really showcases her talents and the blindness of Hollywood. Are people crazy? Why don't we see more of the legendary Karen Black!

The look of the film is outrageous (as is the Soundtrack.) Very much like a painting.

I was also not surprised to find that the director was from Mississippi as well. I am just amazed that this is his first feature. There are subtle pieces of culture, cleverly tucked here and there, that I really got tickled at.

This film is not for everyone. It is not an action packed, violence drowned, produced piece of garbage. "Red Dirt" is a quiet, little gem that reminds me of home. And of the power of stories about real people and the complicated lives we can create within them. It is a film that could have easily slipped by me, but I am truly glad that it didn't.

Red Dirt is a story with two main themes: claustro- and agoraphobia, literal in the case of our protagonists' dotty Aunt Summer, and more abstract in the portrayal of cousins Griffith (desperate to escape town) and Emily (resigned to sharing her female relatives' fate of never leaving); and the difficulty and pain of expressing love, and changes in love. When a stranger, Lee, comes to stay at their farm, he acts as a catalyst that eventually brings all their secrets out of the woodwork, and it hurts as much as it sets everyone free.

In today's world of determinist sexuality and identity politics, it's clear why this film goes down like a ton of bricks with some people - many won't find it satisfying to watch a story of people falling in (and out) of love with no neat labels that can be attached to their desires. Even more disturbing to some will be the hint that love and sex are not the same thing. Yet this is exactly what I found so moving about this film, and such a welcome change from the teenager-coming-out stock of gay films that, despite being of some value to those that need them, have become tedious to those that no longer do. Fond as I am of man-on-man action, and not being much of a romantic, I was therefore very surprised to be so moved by a film simply about love, and not to have to suffer through another truckload of big-city gay clichés.

The acting, cinematography and photography are all superb - I could have done with a little less of the weepy soundtrack but really that's a tiny quibble.