La fuerza de la venganza

Like most Canadians, I tend to shy away from viewing Canadian-made movies, especially if they deal with First People's issues. ("Oh no! Not another one of those".) But CLEARCUT came highly recommended by a friend who is really into intensely horrific stories.

It starts off looking like something we've all seen before with a band of Native North Americans squaring off against the "cruel white logging company". It then takes a neat turn about twenty minutes in when our main protagonist sits in on a sauna session-ritual with some Native elders in a teepee. It is his bloody fever dream within the dark steamy enclosure that begins to set the tone for the rest of the film. And what a film! Righteous "psycho" Native, Arthur (effectively played by Graham Greene) kidnaps our main hero who is a lawyer representing the protesters along with the nasty head of the logging company. Arthur then forces the two on a grueling journey through the forests with the sole aim of vengefully torturing them into seeing things from the native perspective. Relentlessly paced, full of twists and turns and its share of bloody gore, the film pulls no punches.

It is smartly adapted by screenwriter Rob Forsyth, nicely shot by Francois Protat and well acted by Ron Lea with moody music by Shane Harvey. Although purely a dramatic work, it plays out like an old Indian legend and a sick stalker flick. Let me finally state that you don't have to be into Native issues to like this film. It works on many levels and is simply a really excellent entertaining movie!

Without a doubt, one of the more realistically shocking and provocative films I have ever seen. One of the most important "lost" independent films ever. Definitely ranks in the top 5 best Canadian films ever.

I don't want to describe it too much, because it is best viewed with virgin eyes - no expectations.

The short summary is that a logging company has gone too far with its clear-cutting of the great Canadian woods, now subject to native Indian terror attacks against the loggers. A nebbish Toronto lawyer gets involved in the case, and meets a mysterious Indian (the always wonderful and most talented Graham Greene). What follows is a harrowing and devastating journey not only into the ancient woods of Canada, but into the darkest recesses of the human soul. Anger, rage, revenge, violence, redemption, tolerance, and ECOLOGY - all words to describe the feelings and attitudes of this shocking film. A definite MUST SEE! - unfortunately though, this is one of the rarest films made in the last 20 years. Never shown on TV, and pretty much unavailable on VHS (forget DVD, at least as far as I know it was never released on disc). Best chance is to pick it up in Canada at an art-house vid store. If you do ever see the box, don't miss the chance, rent it! Clearcut is proof that cinema is and always should be, the leading art form of our society. Films like this challenge, provoke, and serve as catharses. They have a purpose, and it is more than just to entertain. I was 16 when I saw it, and it changed my view of the world, in a positive way. It made me aware of issues while helping me explore the human psyche. Probably one of the few R rated films I would recommend that young people view (supervised of course) - it might actually enlighten them on issues of violence and rage in society.

WATCH CLEARCUT BY ALL MEANS!

SUPPORT Canadian CINEMA!! It should be so much better and richer than what it is - what is wrong with Canucks? Egoyan, Arcand, Jewison and Cronenberg cannot be the only popular cinema talents in one of the greatest countries on earth?!

Yes, I give this movie a 10, and it's definitely worth it. This film should be required viewing, not only for film students, but for anyone dealing with the current social problems affecting the native population. This is a film you want to watch... I mean WATCH with every fiber of your being... it is food for the brain to be sure. In the end, I think you take away what you put into this one, and will come away with a new found respect for the acting talents of Graham Greene. The writing, while perhaps a bit obtuse for some viewers goes a long way to getting the point across... but I won't tell you what that is, you must see this one yourself. Perhaps all I can say is it puts into perspective the spiritual force that lies just below the surface in us all. Wrong will never be right, and no matter what mask it wears, in the end Kharma will win out. Ya gotta see this one... really!

There are a lot of themes at play in this movie, many of which are still as relevant as ever, as I *think* it's primarily examining the different aspects of being an "ally" and the implications of how an ally can inherently always choose to side with the oppressor and retreat into their own privilege.

That being said, I'm not entirely sure that I'm right about that - I imagine a lot of the meaning here's in the eye of the beholder, which characters they find themselves identifying and/or sympathizing with, etc.

Point being that the strongest thing about this film is it tells a super engaging story that deals with really complex, important issues (capitalism, racism, imperialism, alienation, allyship, what retribution might really look like, etc.) without dumbing it down to the point that it's spoon-feeding you things like "who is the good guy?" or "what should I take away from this?" or "how should I feel about anything that happens to any of these characters?" And I mean that in a good way - I'm not confused because of indifference, but because there are challenging things about every character and nearly every choice each character makes.

I don't know if I'd even consider it a horror movie. I mean, I don't know what else I'd call it, but - and I'm saying this as a major lover of horror and a deep believer in all of the different ways it can be used - I feel like it's a bit reductionist to label it as horror. I was never scared, any violence and gore is visually underplayed (deliberately). I guess I'd consider it folk horror, but in the same way I'd say the original Wicker Man and Deliverance are folk horror - like Wicker Man is also a musical comedy, Deliverance is also a survival thriller, and for whatever reason those are the two movies of which I was most reminded by this. For context, the original Wicker Man is my favorite movie, so I don't use the comparison lightly.

But yeah, suffice it to say - great movie that you should definitely watch.

I have searched in vain for a copy of this movie for years. This story attempts to have the viewer identify with the frustration that Native Americans must feel with the casual and continual injustice by a system that is stacked against their interests.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It is creative, extremely well told and does not follow any typical mainstream formula. This movie takes you on a journey of Arthur's frustration and his tactics of dealing with those feelings. It is an unpredictable and thoroughly enjoyable movie experience.

It is a shame that this movie is so difficult to find.