2017 Blind Spot Series: Rio Bravo

Based on the short story by B.H. McCampbell, Rio Bravo is the story of a town sheriff who finds himself facing off against a local rancher as he seeks the help of a cripple, a drunk, and a young gunfighter to deal with the rancher and his men. Directed by Howard Hawks and screenplay by Jules Furthman and Leigh Brackett, the film is about a sheriff protecting his town as he angers a local rancher for arresting the man’s brother. Starring John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson, Walter Brennan, John Russell, and Ward Bond. Rio Bravo is a compelling yet enthralling film from Howard Hawks.

Set in a small town of Texas known as Rio Bravo, the film revolves a sheriff who has arrested the brother of a local rancher for murder as the brother wants him back leading to a battle of wits and wills between the sheriff and rancher. It’s a film that is about a man trying to uphold the law and do good for this little town as he has two deputies to help him despite the fact that they’re both flawed as one of them is a drunk struggling with being sober while the other is an old man with a bum leg. They’re later joined by a young gunfighter who observes from afar after his boss had been killed by one of the men working for the rancher as it’s revealed he’s paying men to do his dirty work. The film’s screenplay by Jules Furthman and Leigh Brackett doesn’t just explore the game of wits between this sheriff and rancher but also the life of a town that is just trying to live their lives in peace but the power of the rancher just causes problems after a man is killed at a bar by the rancher’s brother who had already killed numerous people in the past.

The town sheriff John T. Chance (John Wayne) is a no-nonsense man that is willing to listen but he has his job to do as he wants no one causing trouble. Yet, Joe Burdette (Claude Akins) would be the one to cause trouble and humiliate Chance’s deputy Dude (Dean Martin) who hasn’t had a drink of liquor in two years as he’s struggling to maintain his sobriety as he accidentally knocks out Chance. After Joe is arrested for killing a man at the saloon and be arrested at the saloon where Burdette’s men are, the trouble begins where Chance tries to smooth things down and not cause trouble despite the target on his head from the men who work for Nathan Burdette (John Russell). Chance, with Dude and the old man with a bum leg in Stumpy (Walter Brennan) who watches over the jailed Joe, as they all figure out what to do. Adding to the complication that Chance is dealing with is the arrival of a mysterious woman in Feathers (Angie Dickinson) who is suspected of being a cheating gambler while a young gunslinger named Colorado (Ricky Nelson) arrives wanting to help after a friend of Chance in Pat Wheeler (Ward Bond) is shot by one of Burdette’s hired guns.

The script also showcase Dude’s struggles as he was once a skilled gunslinger but years of alcoholism has made him feel diminished yet Chance keeps him on knowing he still has something left when he’s motivated. The script also play into Chance’s relationship with Feathers who is quite like him in the fact that she doesn’t take shit from him or anyone as she is asked to leave but she prefers to stay as it causes this unlikely attraction between the two. When Colorado joins Chance in stopping Burdette’s men, he is someone that is quite smart for someone that is young as well as very skilled as he’s also know where his place is as he immediately gains Chance’s respect. Especially in the film’s climatic showdown that involves a game of chance and wit with guns and dynamite.

Howard Hawks’ direction is definitely entrancing due to the visuals he creates while also emphasizing in simple compositions and moments to create a mood for the film. Notably the opening sequence as it doesn’t feature any dialogue for nearly several minutes as it involves Joe Burdette humiliating Dude and creating trouble where he is captured by Chance. Shot on location near Tucson, Arizona, the film does play into a time in the West where it was starting to get less rowdy and more civilized but there’s still some trouble as it involves Burdette who is still trying to rule the town as he owns the local ranch and a saloon where his men are free to do with whatever they want. While Hawks would use some wide shots to capture the locations as well as viewpoints of the men looking at Burdette’s saloon from the jailhouse. Much of Hawks’ direction would emphasize more on a sense of intimacy in the usage of close-ups and medium shots.

The direction would have moments that are intense but also very restrained as Hawks is more interesting in building up the suspense such as a scene where Chance and Dude try to find Ward’s assassin as it’s all about the little details. There are also these moments such as a confrontation between Chance and some of Burdette’s men who try to stop Chance as they’re forced to deal with Colorado who would find a way to outwit Burdette’s men with Feathers’ help. While Hawks would take a simple approach to the drama and suspense, he would also infuse bits of humor in the film courtesy of Stumpy as well as a moment for a sing-a-long involving Dude, Colorado, and Stumpy as it help defuse some of the tension and suspense as it show these three men as just human beings trying to have some fun and show what the world could be away from the greed and violence. Even if it means having to do something drastic to stop Burdette from ruining all of that all because he wants to free his brother who is likely to kill again without remorse. Overall, Hawks creates a thrilling and gripping film about a sheriff and his deputies going up against a greedy yet intelligent cattle rancher.

Cinematographer Russell Harlan does brilliant work with the film’s gorgeous Technicolor film stock to showcase some of the beauty of the clothes and locations as well as for the scenes set at night. Editor Folmar Blangsted does excellent work with the editing as it is very straightforward as well as using some methodical cutting to play into the suspense. Art director Leo K. Kuter and set decorator Ralph S. Hurst do amazing work with the look of the saloons, jailhouse, and the local hotel that Chance stays frequently as well as the exterior of Burdette’s ranch.

Costume designer Marjorie Best does fantastic work with the look of the clothes from the chaps, hats, and shirts to play into the personality of the characters as well as the stylish clothes of Feathers. The sound work of Robert B. Lee is terrific for capturing some of the natural elements as well as creating heightened sound effects for some of the gunfire. The film’s music by Dimitri Tiomkin is superb with its usage of lush orchestral flourishes and bombast as well as creating a few songs with lyricist Paul Francis Webster plus a traditional Mexican instrumental and a song by Ricky Nelson.

The film’s marvelous cast include some notable small roles from Joseph Shimada as the local undertaker Burt, Pedro Gonzalez-Gonzalez as the hotel manager Carlos, Estelita Rodriguez as Carlos’ wife Consuelo, Claude Akins as Nathan’s murderous brother Joe, and Ward Bond in a terrific small role as Chance’s old friend Pat Wheeler who arrives in town for business only to get himself into trouble with Burdette’s gang. John Russell is superb as Nathan Burdette as rancher who wants his brother free no matter what as he’s willing to do whatever it takes as well as hire killers and maintain his own sense of riches and sense of power. Angie Dickinson is amazing as Feathers as a woman who has been accused of being a cheat in gambling as she just stopped in the town for a few days only to stay as she becomes intrigued by Chance as it’s just a lively performance from Dickinson.

Walter Brennan is excellent as Stumpy as an old man with a bum-leg who is the film’s comic relief as he feels underappreciated while doing much of the work in watching Joe Burdette as he’s just an absolute joy to watch. Ricky Nelson is brilliant as Colorado as a young gunslinger who was working for Wheeler as he would later help Chance in dealing with Burdette and his gang as he is quite restrained but also very mature for his age as it's one of Nelson’s finest performances. Dean Martin is remarkable as Dude as a skilled gunslinger struggling to maintain his sobriety as well as the effects of alcohol as a man who feels like his time his done while trying to restore whatever dignity he has left. Finally, there’s John Wayne in a phenomenal performance as John T. Chance as the local sheriff who is trying to maintain law and order in this small town as he’s a man that just wants to do his job but also knows he has to be smarter than most men as there’s a gravitas to Wayne’s performance as well as someone that can take a few hits and still get back up as it is one of Wayne’s finest performances in his illustrious career.

Rio Bravo is an outstanding film from Howard Hawks featuring a tremendous performance from John Wayne. Along with its great ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals, gripping story, and a fantastic music soundtrack. The film isn’t just one of the finest films of the western genre but it’s also a film that is very witty but also engrossing for the way it explores a man trying to do what is right and needing to be smarter than those around him. In the end, Rio Bravo is a magnificent film from Howard Hawks.

Howard Hawks Films: (The Road to Glory) - (Fig Leaves) - (Cradle Snatchers) - (Paid to Love) - (A Girl in Every Port (1928 film)) - (Fazil) - (The Air Circus) - (Trent’s Last Case (1929 film)) - (The Dawn Patrol (1930)) - (The Criminal Code) – Scarface - (The Crowd Roars (1932 film)) - (Tiger Shark) - (Today We Live) - (The Prizefighter and the Lady) - (Viva Villa!) - (Twentieth Century) - (Barbary Coast) - (Ceiling Zero) - (The Road to Glory) - (Come and Get It) - Bringing Up Baby - (Only Angels Have Wings) - (His Girl Friday) - (Sergeant York) - (Ball of Fire) - (Air Force) - (To Have and Have Not) - (The Big Sleep (1946 film)) - (The Outlaw) – Red River - (A Song is Born) - (I Was a Male War Bride) - (The Big Sky) - (Monkey Business) - (O Henry’s Full House) - Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - (Land of the Pharaohs) - (Hatari!) - (Man’s Favorite Sport?) - (Red Line 7000) - (El Dorado) - (Rio Lobo)

© thevoid99 2017

Dressed to Kill (1980 film)

Written and directed by Brian De Palma, Dressed to Kill is the story of a murder mystery where the woman’s son, her psychiatrist, and a young prostitute try to figure out who killed her. The film isn’t just about a murder mystery but an exploration into the world of eroticism and why a housewife was killed which was partly due to her own sexual desires. Starring Angie Dickinson, Michael Caine, Nancy Allen, Keith Gordon, Dennis Franz, and David Margulies. Dressed to Kill is a sexy yet thrilling film from Brian De Palma.

The film revolves the mysterious murder of a housewife in New York City who was killed just after having a tryst with a man she had just met in order to fulfill her own sexual desires. It’s a film that isn’t just a simple whodunit but also a film that explores the world of sex as it relates to certain desires and what people want. At the same time, it also explores the idea of transsexuality where the killer is suspected to be a transsexual as the housewife’s psychiatrist is also treating a transsexual. Once the housewife had been killed where a young hooker is the only witness, she along with the psychiatrist and the housewife’s genius son each to into their own investigation.

Brian De Palma’s screenplay has a unique structure where the first act is about Kate Miller (Angie Dickinson) as she is sexually-frustrated with her marriage as she goes to Metropolitan Museum of Arts where she encounters a man she had seen in her fantasy. While it would be fulfilling, it would have some very serious consequences and an eventual outcome that would set the entire mystery to play out. With the prostitute Liz (Nancy Allen) being the sole witness as she would also be an unfortunate suspect due to carrying the murder weapon. The second act is about the mystery where Liz and Kate’s son Peter (Keith Gordon) both do their own investigation where the latter would use his skills in creating gadgets to stake out the office of his mother’s psychiatrist Dr. Elliott (Michael Caine). Dr. Elliott would also be questioned by the police detective Marino (Dennis Franz) who wants access to Dr. Elliott’s files as things become more complicated as it relates to the identity of the killer who is a patient of Dr. Elliott with the name Bobbi.

The character of Bobbi raises a lot of question of transsexuality where Dr. Elliott would reveal to Marino that Bobbi is a man that wants to be a woman as he tries to tell him to not go with this sex change. It adds to this sex of intrigue into the world of sex while there all of these little details that De Palma uses in the script that plays into the dangers of infidelity as well as the world of unprotected sex. In some ways, it is De Palma making a bit of commentary over the drawbacks of the sexual revolution in the age where sexually-transmitted diseases are starting to become public just before the era of AIDS. Even as it is clear that there’s some very strange motives into what goes on in Kate’s sex life as well as the world of sex itself.

De Palma’s direction is very mesmerizing for the way it emphasizes largely on style but allowing every image and scene to matter. The film opens with this very sexy shower scene where Kate is masturbating in a shower as it plays to a fantasy of Kate wanting to have sex with this man. Yet, it then cuts to reality where she is having very unsatisfying sex with her husband where De Palma’s usage of medium shots and close-up play to Kate’s own boredom in her married life. While the film is set in New York City, it is shot largely in Philadelphia with the exception of a few second-unit shots of NYC as it plays into this world of that is quite dangerous where things are becoming nothing as it seen. Even in the world of sex and such where Kate would meet her fantasy man at the museum where it leads to one of the finest sequences in film with this steadicam tracking shot of these two flirtatiously chasing each other in the museum with very sparse dialogue.

It is among some of the finest sequences in film as well as some of the sexual-driven scenes such as Kate having sex with a man in a cab and the aftermath where it’s about the sense of timing and usage of memory. De Palma’s usage of split-screens help play into that sense of memory as well as a sense of intrigue as it relates to the different investigations held by Dr. Elliott and Liz. De Palma’s approach to suspense is very intense such as a sequence where Liz is being chased by Bobbi in the subway as she also makes trouble with a young gang and a major sequence in the third act. Notably a scene where Liz meets Dr. Elliott where she is hoping to get a record of Bobbi’s identity with the help of Peter. The sense of tension and how De Palma would compose some of the scenes where one character would be in the foreground and the other in the background just adds to this sense of style and intrigue over the mystery of who killed this woman. Overall, De Palma creates an unsettling yet rapturous film about a murder mystery involving transsexual and other forays into the world of sex.

Cinematographer Ralf Bode does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography with its soft yet colorful look of some of the interior/exterior scenes at the museum to the eerie scenes set at night as well some unique lighting and textures for some of the interior/exterior scenes set at night. Editor Jerry Greenberg does brilliant work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts, slow-motion, split-screens, and other stylish cuts to play into the suspense and elements of eroticism. Art director Gary Weist and set decorator Gary J. Brink do fantastic work with the look of Dr. Elliott‘s home office as well as the home where Kate and Peter lives in along with the scenes set in the apartment building where Kate would have her tryst.

Costume designer Ann Roth does superb work with the costumes from the clothes that Liz wears to the stylish white dress that Kate wears in the film. Sound editor Dan Sable does nice work with the sound to create some tension in some of the moments of suspense as well as the great usage of cuts and mixing for the museum sequence in the scenes without music. The film’s music by Pino Donaggio is amazing as it is one of the film’s major highlights thanks to its soaring and lush orchestral-based score with its strings to some of the eroticism of the film as well as some more eerie themes for its suspenseful moments.

The casting by Vic Ramos is terrific as it features some notable small performances from David Margulies as a fellow psychiatrist in Dr. Levy, Fred Weber as Kate’s husband Mike, Bill Randolph as a cab driver in a chase scene, William Finley as the voice of Bobbi, and Ken Baker as Kate’s object of desire as the man she would flirt with at the museum. Dennis Franz is superb as the detective Marino who is leading the investigation as he doesn’t trust Liz because of who she is as well as Dr. Elliott because of the information he didn’t want to reveal. Keith Gordon is excellent as Peter Miller as Kate’s son who is an inventor who feels guilty over what happened as he is driven by grief to find out who the killer is as he would also help out Liz in the investigation.

Angie Dickinson is brilliant as Kate Miller as the bored housewife who is sexually-frustrated with her marriage as she would have a tryst with a man who is her ideal fantasy as things would go wrong in its aftermath. Nancy Allen is amazing as Liz Blake as this young prostitute who would witness the murder as she also becomes an unfortunate suspect as she does whatever to help Peter and keep herself out of jail knowing she has done enough trouble in her life. Finally, there’s Michael Caine in a fantastic performance as Dr. Elliott as this psychiatrist who is treating Kate as he learns that one of his patients could be a serial killer who also wants a sex change as it is a very straightforward performance with some unique complexities that makes it very interesting.

Dressed to Kill is a phenomenal film from Brian De Palma. Featuring a great cast as well as some amazing technical feats and Pino Donaggio’s thrilling score. It’s a film that isn’t just a stylish and engaging erotic thriller but also a unique commentary into the downsides of sex and the fallacy of the sexual revolution in the pre-AIDS era. In the end, Dressed to Kill is a spectacular film from Brian De Palma.

Brian De Palma Films: (Murder a la Mod) - (Greetings) - (The Wedding Party) - (Dionysus in ‘69) - (Hi, Mom!) - (Get to Know Your Rabbit) - Sisters - Phantom of the Paradise - Obsession - Carrie - The Fury - (Home Movies) - Blow Out - Scarface - Body Double - (Wise Guys) - The Untouchables - Casualties of War - The Bonfire of the Vanities - Raising Cain - Carlito’s Way - Mission: Impossible - Snake Eyes - Mission to Mars - (Femme Fatale) - The Black Dahlia - (Redacted) - Passion (2012 film) - (Domino (2018 film))

© thevoid99 2015

Run of the Arrow

Written and directed by Samuel Fuller, Run of the Arrow is the story of a former Confederate war veteran who leaves his family to move to the West where he joins the Sioux Indian Nation. The film is a western that explores a man dealing with his honor while helping the Indians fight off against the U.S. Army during the Indian Wars of the late 19th Century. Starring Rod Steiger, Sara Montiel, Brian Keith, and Charles Bronson. Run of the Arrow is a compelling and thrilling film from Samuel Fuller.

The film is the story of a Confederate soldier who decides to leave his home of Virginia and his family following Robert E. Lee’s surrender to Ulysses S. Grant to end the Civil War as he tries to find something to fight for when he moves West and becomes part of the Sioux Indian Nation. It’s a film that really more of an exploration of a man who felt like his service in the Civil War had all been for nothing as he was forced to bury his own brothers as he seeks to find meaning in the West where his encounter with Sioux Indians have him wanting to find a role where he can be useful and also gain whatever honor is lost. Along the way, he would deal with a cavalry that wants to build a fort nearby their territory causing tension as O’Meara (Rod Steiger) tries to ensure nothing goes wrong as he does gain the trust of cavalry leader Captain Clark (Brian Keith) but trouble brews due to a rebellious Sioux and a lieutenant whom O’Meara had met in the last days of the Civil War.

Samuel Fuller’s screenplay showcases a man who has become lost in his idea of duty and honor as he refuses to accept the surrender of the Confederacy despite the fact that he knows that the war was lost. That loss forces O’Meara to find a place where he doesn’t have to bow down to the Union where his meeting with an aging Sioux renegade in Walking Coyote (Jay C. Flippen) who takes a liking to O’Meara. Their encounter with the rebellious Crazy Wolf (H.M. Wynant) would show O’Meara’s resilience as he is accepted by the tribe as he would marry a Sioux woman in Yellow Moccasin (Sara Montiel) and gain a sense of peace. Yet, the arrival of the cavalry forces O’Meara to deal with his past in Lt. Driscoll (Ralph Meeker) who distrusts the Sioux. Especially as its third act would have O’Meara try to make Lt. Driscoll see reason and not start a war as well as confront his own demons about his own experiences with the Civil War.

Fuller’s direction is quite grand as he shoots the film on a widescreen format to display that broad stroke of the American West. The use of the wide and medium shots allow Fuller to play into that vast look of the West while doing some very unique ideas to display this game of death known as Run of the Arrow where O’Meara and Walking Coyote would have to run barefoot to survive from being killed by the Sioux. What Fuller did in that sequence was instead of doing wide or medium shots of an entire person in the frame, he just focuses on the feet instead to play into that sense of action. Fuller’s use of close-ups also play into the drama as it relates to O’Meara’s own personal struggle while a few of them are presented awkwardly which suggests that there was some tampering to what Fuller wanted and what the studio wanted. Yet, Fuller is able to keep things lively and also infuse some commentary about the themes of honor and what the Sioux were fighting for as it would help O’Meara regain a sense of identity and honor. Overall, Fuller creates a very exhilarating film about a lost man trying to find himself in the American West.

Cinematographer Joseph Biroc does excellent work with the film‘s colorful cinematography from the vast look of the American desert to the more low-key lights for the scenes at night. Editor Gene Fowler Jr. does amazing work with the editing with its use of dissolves and rhythmic cuts to play into the film’s action and suspense. Art directors Albert S. D’Agostino and Jack Okey, along with set decorator Bertram C. Granger, do brilliant work with the set pieces from the look of the teepees that the Sioux lived to the fort that the cavalry would build. The sound work of Terry Kellum and Virgil Smith is terrific for its sound work from the way arrows are shot into the air to the sounds of gunfire. The film’s music by Sidney Cutner is wonderful for its bombastic orchestral score that includes some somber themes to play into the drama.

The film’s superb cast includes some notable small roles from Billy Miller as the mute Sioux Silent Tongue, Olive Carey as O’Meara’s mother, and Charles Bronson in one of his early roles as a Sioux chief in Blue Buffalo as it’s a true standout performance from the legendary actor. H.M. Wynant is terrific as the rebellious Sioux Crazy Wolf while Jay C. Flippen is excellent as the aging Sioux scout Walking Coyote who would introduce O’Meara the ideas of the Sioux. Ralph Meeker is fantastic as Lt. Driscoll as a young man who had been shot by O’Meara during the Civil War as he is eager to make a name for himself and start a war with the Sioux.

Brian Keith is great as Captain Clark as a cavalry leader who knows what is at stake while understanding O’Meara’s anger towards the Union as he would provide O’Meara some ideas into what he should do. Sara Montiel is wonderful as Yellow Moccasin as a woman who helps O’Meara find peace though her voice work is dubbed by Angie Dickinson who manages to bring that sense of warmth to the character’s voice. Finally, there’s Rod Steiger in a phenomenal performance as O’Meara as this man who lost so much in the Civil War as he tries to find meaning again by being part of the Sioux tribe as it’s a performance full of humility and determination as it’s one of his finest roles.

Run of the Arrow is a fantastic film from Samuel Fuller that features a brilliant performance from Rod Steiger. It’s a film that doesn’t just explore a man trying to regain a sense of honor but also find peace from the troubled world he had just left. In the end, Run of the Arrow is a superb film from Samuel Fuller.

Samuel Fuller Films: I Shot Jesse James - The Baron of Arizona - The Steel Helmet - Fixed Bayonets! - Park Row - Pickup on South Street - (Hell and High Water) - House of Bamboo - (China Gate) - Forty Guns - Verboten! - The Crimson Kimono - Underworld U.S.A. - Merrill's Marauders - Shock Corridor - The Naked Kiss - (Shark!) - (Dead Pigeon on Beethoven Street) - The Big Red One - White Dog - (Thieves After Dark) - (Street of No Return) - (The Madonna and the Dragon)

© thevoid99 2014

Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 12/10/08 w/ Additional Edits.

After scoring a critical hit with 1991's My Own Private Idaho, that also became a hit in art-house film circuits, Gus Van Sant had become the leading voice of the emerging New Queer Cinema movement. Hoping to make a bid in going mainstream, Van Sant decided to make his first big-budgeted film that had the full financial backing and support of a major studio. For this project, Gus Van Sant turned to an obscure yet celebrated novel by Tom Robbins about a young woman with large thumbs who travels around the country while exploring free love and homosexuality. The novel entitled Even Cowgirls Get the Blues was beloved in the gay community that it comes as no surprise than to have Gus Van Sant to do the film. The resulting film would have repercussions for Gus Van Sant's career as he struggled to find mainstream acceptance.

Written for the screen and directed by Gus Van Sant, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues is a road film about a woman with large, mutated thumbs who travels around the country while trying to find love in a world that's rapidly changing. During this journey, she encounters many strange people while going through transformations politically and sexually. With the novelist Tom Robbins serving as narrator, the film explores Van Sant's themes of homosexuality and desperate love that echoes such earlier work as My Own Private Idaho and his 1985 debut film Mala Noche. Starring Uma Thurman, Lorraine Bracco, Noriyuki "Pat" Morita, Angie Dickinson, Keanu Reeves, John Hurt, Sean Young, Crispin Glover, Udo Kier, Buck Henry, Ken Kesey, Roseanne Barr, Ed Begley Jr., Carol Kane, Heather Graham, Lin Shaye, Edward James Olmos, Rain Phoenix, and in one of his final film appearances, River Phoenix in an un-credited role as Pilgrim. Even Cowgirls Get the Blues despite its efforts, is a messy, baffling, and incoherent film from Gus Van Sant.

Ever since she was a child, Sissy Hawkins (Uma Thurman) had always wondered what power her large, mutated thumbs had until the day she hitch-hiked herself into a car. By the early 1970s, Sissy is now a traveler who constantly goes on road journeys with her magic thumbs. Yet, she briefly had success as a model when she got called by her former boss known as the Countess (John Hurt), a transvestite, feminist hygiene product mogul. Traveling through New York City via riding on cars and trucks, Sissy meets the Countess who had hoped to have Sissy meet with Native American water-colorist Julian (Keanu Reeves). The meeting turned into a disaster after Julian had an asthma attack while Sissy got seduced by a couple of Julian's entourage in Howard (Crispin Glover) and Marie (Sean Young).

After that disastrous encounter where her thumbs her due to her anxieties, Sissy is sent on a modeling assignment to a ranch he owns that's ran by Miss Adrian (Angie Dickinson). Going to the ranch, Miss Adrian is dealing with the increasing control from a group of cowgirls led by Bonanza Jellybean (Rain Phoenix). Sissy finds herself attracted to Jellybean and her wild ways which included lesbianism. When the modeling job involves doing something involved with whooping cranes, it doesn't go well due to dueling factions between the Countess and the cowgirls that included the peyote-taking Dolores (Lorraine Bracco). Torn between her love for Jellybean and loyalty to the Countess, Sissy flees to the mountains where she meets a Japanese-American recluse named the Chink (Noriyuki "Pat" Morita). After her strange counter with the Chink, Sissy returns to New York where she had a falling out with the Countess.

Fearing that her thumbs has now caused trouble, she turns to her childhood doctor Dr. Dreyfus (Buck Henry) for help. What happened would change her persona while hearing about the revolt from the cowgirls as they're protecting the whooping cranes from the government. Joining the cowgirls, she helps them in their fight while discovering her own true identity for the first time in her life.

The film is about a young woman's journey to self-discovery yet, with its themes of feminism, social politics, and such. It gets lost in its translation from book to novel but then again, the book is considered to be too strange to be adapted. Robbins story of self-discovery is filled with a lot of characters that often are too eccentric for their own good. Yet, the fault is largely due to Gus Van Sant and his attempts to turn it into a film and the result is very messy. He brings a film where not much makes sense, a lot of it becomes very self-indulgent, and overly pretentious. While the film has themes about homosexuality that were explored in his earlier films. Not much ground is covered in this one because it's often overshadowed by its political leanings towards animal activism which doesn't have much depth either.

Another problem with the film is that with most adaptations, something is missing in the adaptation. The film in its original running time of two hours in its initial premiere at the 1993 Toronto Film Festival received an overwhelming negative response. Therefore, Van Sant and editor Curtiss Clayton were forced to cut thirty-minutes of the film for its official 1994 theatrical release. Yet, something got lost as it's clear that some appearances must've been cut from the original film along with characters who seem to have a much bigger impact. Therefore, if Van Sant was trying to improve the film by shortening it and to simplify the story. He didn't succeed as it's lost in its rambling, incoherent plot while Tom Robbins' narration doesn't really help things either. Some insert shots of Sissy fantasizing and such doesn't feel right and the end result overall is a messy film from Gus Van Sant.

The cinematography of John J. Campbell and Eric Alan Edwards, two of Van Sant's early, regular cinematographers create an interesting look in a lot of the film's exterior shots of sunlight and evening shots. Yet, in comparison to their previous work with My Own Private Idaho, it lacks the atmospheric quality of that film as well as other early Van Sant features. Despite its look, it isn't actually inspiring nor does the editing by Van Sant and Curtiss Clayton that really doesn't have much style with the exception of stock footage of flying whooping cranes. Production designer Missy Stewart along with set decorator Nina Bradford, and art director Dan Self do create an interesting look of the Rubber Road ranch as well as the New York City art scene.

Costume designer Beatrix Aruna Pasztor also does some interesting work with the costumes, notably the cowgirls with their chaps, hats, and shirts to have them look masculine in a cool way. Sound designer Kelley Baker does some nice work in the film's battle sequence and road scenes though it's nothing spectacular in comparison to Van Sant's other films. The film's score by k.d. lang and Ben Mink is a highlight with its smooth, country style score and mix with rock where lang was hot at the time as her score and soundtrack is actually one of the best things in the film.

The casting by Sharon Bialy, Debi Manwiller, and Richard Pagano is interesting but distracting due to its slew of appearances from actors that are really just strange cameos. Appearances from Roseanne as a fortune teller, Grace Zabriskie and Ken Kesey as Sissy's parents, William S. Burroughs as himself, Udo Kier as a commercial director, Edward James Olmos in an un-credited appearance as a musician in a barbeque, Lin Shaye as a ranch maid, Heather Graham and alt-folk musician Victoria Williams as a couple of cowgirls, Ed Begley, Jr. and Carol Kane along with Crispin Glover and Sean Young as Julian's snobby entourage, and the late River Phoenix in one of his final film appearances as a pilgrim. Keanu Reeves makes an extremely bad appearance as Julian with an awful tan to make himself look Native American while sporting an even more wooden performance where he has no clue what he's doing.

Buck Henry is good as a doctor who helps Sissy while Treva Jeffryes is also good as the young Sissy. John Hurt gives a strange, stylish, yet overbearing performance as the Countess with a Southern-British accent that doesn't work while at times, some of his physical performances don't really work. Angie Dickinson isn't very good either as Miss Adrian as she isn't given much to do but complain and act all shocked. Noriyuki "Pat" Morita is pretty good as the Chink, a recluse from the mountains who is very eccentric and fun despite his aversion to politics. Lorraine Bracco is good in a strange yet hilarious role as Dolores, a peyote-taking cowgirl who claims to have all of these weird, psychedelic visions. Rain Phoenix is somewhat decent though not overall brilliant as Bonanza Jellybean as while she is memorable. Her performance doesn't leave much of an impression as she's just there to talk in a drawl and look good in chaps.

Finally, there's Uma Thurman in one of her early leading roles. While it's not a bad performance, it's nothing worth celebrating either. While Thurman can portray being beautiful and naive while having this kind of drawl in her accent. There's not much she's given throughout the film despite being the lead character yet Thurman seems lost and unsure of what to do as the lead. Some of that fault can be due to Van Sant's direction though Thurman does manage to have some fine moments.

Despite its intentions, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues is a messy, incoherent failure from Gus Van Sant. While fans of Gus Van Sant might see this for their own interest, it's clear that this isn't one of his great films as he's already becoming one of cinema's premier directors. Yet, for all of his great films that he's made like Drugstore Cowboy, My Own Private Idaho, To Die For, Good Will Hunting, Elephant, Last Days, Paranoid Park, and more recently, Milk. Even Cowgirls Get the Blues is an interesting failure showing where someone as revered as Gus Van Sant can stumble. In the end, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues is a film that doesn't work despite Gus Van Sant's attempts to bring Tom Robbins' unique, eccentric cult novel to the big screen.

Gus Van Sant Films: Mala Noche - Drugstore Cowboy - My Own Private Idaho - To Die For - Good Will Hunting - Psycho (1998 film) - Finding Forrester - Gerry - Elephant - Last Days - Paranoid Park - Milk - (Restless)

The Shorts & Videos of Gus Van Sant - The Auteurs #4: Gus Van Sant

(C) thevoid99 2011