Louisiana Story

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful and lyrical
Review: Born on the Bayou! This is a great documentary-stle film from Robert Flaherty, who brought us Nanook of the North, Tabu (with Murnau), and Man of Aran, among others. Here he takes us back to a simple primitive lifestyle in the American periphery which was soon to disappear with modernity during post-war American development.

You can see that Flaherty never became too fond of talkie cinema; even as late as 1948, his film is still nearly voiceless. But ohh what marvelous images are these! Flaherty's love of nature virtually gushes out into each scene; the B&W cinematography is elegent and the image quality is delightfully crisp on the Criterion DVD. See alligators, ra"coons", and the flow of the river, all in their natural splendour. And his filming of the machines is equally wonderful: he captures all their awful brilliance in a way that lets us feel what they must have inspired in the eyes of a young Acadian boy.

Of the extras, I particularly liked the exerpts from a Flaherty wartime Department of Agriculture film. It looked like a documentary on the Grapes of Wrath. Wonderful.

Rating:
Summary: From the Director of Nanook of the North
Review: Born on the Bayou! This is a great documentary-stle film from Robert Flaherty, who brought us Nanook of the North, Tabu (with Murnau), and Man of Aran, among others. Here he takes us back to a simple primitive lifestyle in the American periphery which was soon to disappear with modernity during post-war American development.

You can see that Flaherty never became too fond of talkie cinema; even as late as 1948, his film is still nearly voiceless. But ohh what marvelous images are these! Flaherty's love of nature virtually gushes out into each scene; the B&W cinematography is elegent and the image quality is delightfully crisp on the Criterion DVD. See alligators, ra"coons", and the flow of the river, all in their natural splendour. And his filming of the machines is equally wonderful: he captures all their awful brilliance in a way that lets us feel what they must have inspired in the eyes of a young Acadian boy.

Of the extras, I particularly liked the exerpts from a Flaherty wartime Department of Agriculture film. It looked like a documentary on the Grapes of Wrath. Wonderful.

Rating:
Summary: Sorry, This One's Over-rated
Review: I have been making it a point to try and see all of the "great" movies. I've got a long ways to go but I've seen a lot already. Most of the movies that make the various "All Time Best" list have a noticeable quality to them. Some may be a bit heavy on the technique and light on the plot but one doesn't come away from them wondering why they have such a great reputation. However, I purchased "Louisiana Story" with the idea that I might not otherwise get to see it and I am disappointed. The photography and scenery is good but not THAT good. The acting is amateurish which isn't too bad considering that the actors ARE amateurs but has anyone seen what Visconti did with amateurs in "La Terra Trema"? The story isn't even interesting. An oil rig comes to the back waters of Louisiana. OK. I guess I did enjoy some of the scenes of the roustabouts feeding pipe into the hole. The boy who "stars" in the movie seemed to have the life in the bayou. I keep searching but all I can find myself doing is making excuses as to why I SHOULD have enjoyed this movie.If I had it to do over again, I'd have bought "Man of Aran".

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful and lyrical
Review: This film is visually stunning. The images are quite simply breathtaking - the black and white photography is crisp, clean, and luminous. The film seems to have been lit from within. Our first view of the Cajun boy in his pirogue is touching and jaw-droppingly beautiful. The opening sequence has got to be one of the loveliest things ever filmed, and for that reason alone it's worth a look. The nature scenes are the most evocative, but I found the images of the men working on the oil derrick beautiful and strangely sublime as well.

The film is also a brief snapshot of what life in south Louisiana was like at that time - unspoiled and rustic and filled with a raw sort of beauty. The "actors" used in this film are achingly real. (And thus they are not always very good at what they are doing, especially the men on board the derrick - who are clearly more Texas than Louisiana.) I particularly enjoyed the boy's father and the scenes in which Cajun French is spoken; my mother is Cajun and let me tell you - this is the real thing. But the boy himself turns in the best performance - at times he is innocent and filled with awe, at other times he is full of mischief and "trop canaille" (to use his papa's words).

The story itself isn't really a story in the traditional sense, though there is enough of a narrative thread there to keep you entertained if you're in a quiet, patient mood. The scene where the boy tries to trap a gator is actually quite exciting, underscored as it is by the original score (which is excellent throughout).

In short, this film is perfect for anyone who truly understands and appreciates south Louisiana and its culture and is looking for something quiet and unique.

Rating:
Summary: Louisiana Story by a Louisianne
Review: This is a random film about life in rural Louisiana during the invasion of the "big oil" boom after World War II. The director focuses on how simple and unchanged life in the swamp state was until the first oil derrick appears, and then the old life rapidly merges into the modern life of motor boats, electricity, and common prosperity. The quiet, solemn swamp is transformed into a noisy, bustling water highway. Robert Flaherty films local citizens in their natural habitat, speaking unrehearsed lines with natural French accents. This is the appeal of the film- all natural people, all natural settings, and improptu speech and action. For film study in black and white, and for the sheer simplicity of life before industrialization, this is the perfect choice. You will be left with an impression of innocence, of a time that is encapsulated in this film.

Rating:
Summary: Louisiana Story by a Louisianne
Review: This is a random film about life in rural Louisiana during the invasion of the "big oil" boom after World War II. The director focuses on how simple and unchanged life in the swamp state was until the first oil derrick appears, and then the old life rapidly merges into the modern life of motor boats, electricity, and common prosperity. The quiet, solemn swamp is transformed into a noisy, bustling water highway. Robert Flaherty films local citizens in their natural habitat, speaking unrehearsed lines with natural French accents. This is the appeal of the film- all natural people, all natural settings, and improptu speech and action. For film study in black and white, and for the sheer simplicity of life before industrialization, this is the perfect choice. You will be left with an impression of innocence, of a time that is encapsulated in this film.