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All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt is a bold, visual mosaic of a Black girl/woman's life in rural Mississippi, a summation of individual memories of love, heartbreak, grief, and life events told in a nonlinear stream of consciousness. Cinematically, the patient film stays longingly on key moments of her life, most typically moments of connection in embraces or holding hands. The music of nature and strings peacefully bind the movie together. Story wise, I found this movie very hard to get engaged in. Indeed, as a reflection of life, memories do not organize themselves in linearly, instead being a composition of moments at different times for periods long and short. But with little narrative to draw us in and care about Mack and the characters, these patient moments of longing instead often felt unnecessarily slow. I give the filmmaker credit for this bold vision and I appreciate the film on those merits, even though ultimately this film was not for me.

All Dirt Roads Taste Of Salt

In Raven Jackson's directorial debut, "All Dirt Roads Taste Of Salt," the non-linear narrative unveils the intricate tapestry of Mackenzie's life in Mississippi. While the film's random sequencing may not appeal to all viewers, it weaves together a mosaic of people, places, and moments that define the lead character. Not every moment shown holds the same profundity, and some moments are dragged too long.

Other than the random sequencing this flick has, it also relies on a stylistic dialogue that minimally uses spoken words, instead delving into scenes through expressive eye and body language. This is also coupled with an immersive exploration of landscapes, complemented by a vibrant and rich score which helps compensates for the limited verbal communication.

This movie opens with the line, "Slow, take your time", and this echoes the pacing present. The pacing is slow and sometimes torturous; stares linger long and hugs last even longer. The nonlinear manner the scenes are presented in also deprives the movie from having a buildup.

All Dirt Roads Taste Of Salt stands out with its unique mosaic approach to memories, but this won't be to everyone's taste or appreciation. However, its commendable cinematography and setting contribute to its distinctive character.

5.5/10.

Saw this at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival

"All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt" is a story about a decades-spanning exploration of a woman's life in Mississippi and an ode to the generations of people, places, and ineffable moments that shape us. This is an A24 project and the film contains very little dialogue throughout the film. While the film does have it's uneven moments when it came to pacing, the film still worked because of the poetic style narrative, beautiful visuals and the performances from the cast members. Director Raven Jackson clearly showcases her talents when it comes to visual storytelling as she was able to capture the Mississippi lifestyle for black individuals.

Throughout, the film has gorgeous camerawork as shots of homes, the woods, the environment and community feels nature and realistic. Many of the color patterns and sound designs were great as it reminded me of some Terrence Malick and Andrei Tarkovsky style of filmmaking. Many of the performances were pretty good particular a scene where two individuals were confronting each other regarding with loss and sadness.

The structure of the film is non-linear storytelling and Jackson does a pretty good job on structuring the story to become interesting. Although there were some pacing issues halfway as certain moments felt like they drag a little too long. The characters while have their charm, some of the character could have been focused and developed more and some dialogue moments did feel a little awkward at times. But those problems didn't fully affect the experience of watching this because of Jackson's visual storytelling and direction helps the film to become engaging.

This isn't a film for everyone as many will find it be very boring. It's more of an art house piece and I frankly enjoyed it. It's not the best film from A24 but undeniably beautiful.

Rating: B.

"You want to know a secret? It doesn't end or begin. Just changes form."

A quiet, poetic experience that's more about feeling than plot. It's the kind of film that moves slowly and speaks through textures, glances, and memory rather than dialogue. Visually stunning and emotionally raw, even if it won't be for everyone. It takes its time, but if you're in the right headspace, it definitely leaves a mark.

Once in a while, a film comes along that is inspiring and an example of fine story telling. All Dirt Roads Taste Of Salt is not one of them. While it runs a tad over 90 minutes it seems a lot longer. I saw it at the Melbourne International Film Festival where we were invited by the emcee to 'let it wash over you'. Goodness me. I had to work hard to not drown in the many, many shots that seemed to last forever, and which were in semi darkness. Largely unhampered by a coherent script or storyline, this movie had a lovely soundscape of bugs chirruping, raIn and storms, but for me that was it. Once your mind is overcome with trying to figure out what is happening and switches to 'How long has this to go?' mode, all is lost. A number of people left, some quite early, and many more didn't wait for the director's talk at the end. Needless to say I was one of them. A movie should be able to stand on its own legs and not need explanation. Life's too short.

The experience of watching this is like watching an art gallery installation. In a museum, maybe this would work, you sit down for a bit, get immersed in a rich environment, and then move on to see other artworks.

As a cinematic film, it is like watching paint dry. Cannot get invested in the characters or the development. There is a rich story here and that is what is so frustrating. The film is well-made in that it does very well in its shots, cinematography and setting but then it fails miserably in narrative and development.

I have to think this comes down to a terrible script, but cannot be sure.

Either way, it is unwatchable and does not really deserve to be considered for any awards.

Great art house film using mosaics, clippings, and expressionism to display the decade span of a girl/woman and significant moments, people, and place that shape her. Beautifully shot, gorgeous color and cinematography. The film does not have much dialogue like most movies. Many silent moments such as displays of affection, receiving, and listening, the film does a great job at zooming into moments. The usage of space in the span of time the movie covers is excellent. It could be seen as more of an art house film even by playing with the technique of classic silent films, capturing scenes and movement.

Due to it not being very line heavy, it is hard to tell the personal stories of the characters and is more about the essence of their local micro world/community and how it lives through them as a whole.

I just couldn't for the life of me understand why the director would choose to shoot most, if not all, scenes in such a close up fashion. And then have that very annoying cricket sound in the background of almost all the scenes. It was soooooo irritating. Then you have scenes where no word is spoken for so long, you thought the movie had ended. Then you had the non-lineal approach which just made things worse. Half the time you don't know what you are watching because of the useless close ups and then half the time, you didn't know what's going on because no one is saying anything. Ridiculous.

Raven Jackson's All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt is a cinematic experience that demands immersion. Every frame is a deliberate brushstroke, from the delicate details of Mack's grandmother's earrings to the sun-kissed texture of her braided hair. The rhythmic symphony of crickets, birdsong, and rumbling thunder serves as a soundtrack to the joys and sorrows of life in rural Mississippi.

Jackson's camera lingers on everyday gestures, weaving a tapestry of a vibrant community where culture sings through church hymns and shared laughter. The film transcends simplistic labels, embracing both joy and pain, prolife and prochoice, in its exploration of humanity's yearning for something greater. It's a love letter to Black history and resilience, whispering untold stories through the rustle of leaves and the intricate patterns of braided hair.

More than just a movie, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt is a sensory journey that will leave you swept away by its vivid portrayal of a rich culture, its unflinching honesty about life's struggles, and its ultimately hopeful message about the shared human spirit. This is a film that lingers in the mind and heart long after the credits roll, leaving you breathless with the desire to connect with your own story, your own people, and your own yearning for a brighter tomorrow.

Like looking through somebody's family photo album and being expected to linger over each frozen image for minutes on end, while the host keeps you from turning the page (lost in her own memories) without helping you know who these people are.

Obviously, she loves her camera and everything that she captures with it becomes poignant simply by existing.

Look, she says, how close I get my camera to things, how I can then linger on and on and on. Now watch how that hand stirs the mud from beneath the water. And there it is again.

Oh, and listen-she says and gets up for a moment to put on a recording of crickets chirping and a river flowing on the stereo.

And then she's back to make sure you look closely at the next photograph.

You persevere, after a while fighting off yawns, and making note to pass up future invitations from this director.

When creating a film that's best described as experimental, ambition goes a long way toward the fulfillment of that goal. However, it's not enough to carry the project if it doesn't have something meaningful or profound to say in the end product, and that, unfortunately, is what's missing from the premiere effort from poet Raven Jackson in her writing/directing feature debut. This offering is perhaps best characterized as a visual tone poem examining the decades-long life of an African-American woman in rural Mississippi from childhood to becoming a grandmother. It's light on narrative and seeks to tell its story visually, relying more on showing than telling, a noble undertaking, to be sure. Nevertheless, the picture leans on its imagery so heavily that it often fails to convey anything of real substance, despite its visual beauty and some obviously heartfelt sequences in which the principals' emotions are indeed palpable and affecting. In between, though, the sequences begin to feel padded after a while, striving to capture profound insights through events that are too innately incidental to express anything truly enlightening, reflective or philosophically rich. Instead, it offers viewers a biographical look at one individual's ties to the people, places and everyday events that made up her life, a depiction that, regrettably, plays more like a home movie with arthouse treatment. This is perhaps best exemplified by a nearly 10-minute sequence of a hug that, frankly, grows stunningly tedious in far less time than that. I suspect that these shortcomings probably arise from the filmmaker being too close to her own subject matter, given that many of the characters in this story are based on the lives of people from her own family and ancestors. Those elements may be deeply moving to her, but they don't translate into material that would mean much to those outside her own immediate circle. With that said, however, this release is not without its merits, most notably its gorgeous cinematography and beautiful original score. Beyond that, though, "All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt" is likely to try the patience of many viewers, including those willing to give a chance to its attempt at an alternative inventive approach. This truly feels more like a film or art school project than something that would appeal to even the most ardent of diehard open-minded cinephiles. And that's unfortunate, because I'm sure there's an interesting story buried somewhere within this material. Sadly, it never surfaces but remains camouflaged in its own artistic trappings.

Just quietly, I loved this film, intimate, slow and immersive, this film tells the lives of a family of Southern women through close ups of their bodies and the landscape they inhabit. There is almost no traditional narratives, but through a sequence of images women learn and grow from each other and the men and the landscape around them, they fish, dig in the earth, fall in love, give birth and raise children, all to the sound of falling in rain, the rhythms of the earth and relationships growing deeper. One qualification, it needs to be seen in the cinema and as the audience behind me said 'it just lowers your pulse rate'

All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt (2023) is halfway in between Terrence Malick's Tree of Life and David Gordon Green's George Washington. The film quietly paints a portrait of a black family living in rural Mississippi over multiple decades, using beautiful cinematography and an incredible nature sound design. It creates a dreamlike atmosphere, like a collage of memories from childhood. There isn't enough "there" there. The dialogue is way too minimal, and the actors seem overly blocked, always trapped inside invisible walls.

I can't stress how beautiful this looks, though. For the last half hour, I continuously thought every shot was going to be the final shot of the movie. Any would have made a perfect ending. The movie resonates and lingers.

The title is curious. It recalls one's reaction to always tasting unpaved road when you travel down one, tired kicking debris in the air. But...salt? Wouldn't dirt roads taste like dirt? The director has talked about it, and I'm not satisfied. She said it is a metaphor. "Roads" are metaphorical roads. Also, geophagy (eating clay dirt) is common among poor families in the south, but the family does not seem to be that poor. Also, why would the be eating the dirt from a dirty road? That would be the dirtiest dirt.

A movie like this is only as good as its weakest component. It is very impressive for many reasons. But it is also rather vacuous in content and intent. Still, make sure to keep your eye on Raven Jackson. She made a polished, expensive feeling movie on likely almost no budget. I expect big things from her.

7.5/10.