Review: George Washington

George Washington is a bold, beautiful and honest look at a rural ghetto Carolina town through the eyes of four pre-teen children. Growing up in poor conditions with little to no parental supervision, the kids are on their own. This freedom gives the kids opportunity to explore, create and dream – while it also prohibits healthy relationships, positive development and moral standards.

The David Gordon Green film follows the children through long summer days of independence. On their own, they confront hook-ups and break-ups with only themselves to talk them through. On their own, they talk about real-life questions of spirituality. And on their own, they are confronted with a life-and-death scenario that changes their lives.


This is where the film both makes and breaks itself. Each kid deals with the scenario in her/his own way. Some turn toward a negative path of looting and stealing. Others become onlookers, waiting as bystanders. And George takes the event and uses it as a launching pad towards a new life as a “hero” trying to save the world, starting with the simple act of directing traffic at the town traffic stop.

The transcendental nature of the narrative mirrors that of Terrence Malick’s A Thin Red Line and works towards a movement of meditative thought. The powerful imagery comes unhinged towards the end of the film though, as burning hats and frantic reporters act as barriers in the overall story arch rather than bridges towards something more. One could work towards meaningful metaphors in the chaos, but I felt that a more consistant and careful progression of sticking with the true observation of real-life that the rest of the film took would have cleaned up the confusion and made a more complete film experience.

Craig claimed during class that David Gordon Green’s George Washington is where the new generation of filmmakers is heading. Although the bold, creative and honest look at a slice of America is a forthright and telling vision of one director’s story – I do not believe the film industry will ever completely move towards a completely independent model of filmmaking.

Yes, making a film and distributing it is easier now thanks to YouTube.com, Apple Computers, and the World Wide Web. But the film industry continues to pump out rehashed storylines and family-friendly remakes geared towards what can make money, rather than quality and creativity that is born in the independent spirit of young filmmakers like David Gordon Green.

Review: Badlands

Director Terrence Malick paints a pretty picture by taking his time to develop each shot, conversation, and character. You put them all together and you have Badlands, a beautiful motion picture of American sensationalism and ironic heroism created by a mass media whirlwind.


The setting is a Midwestern town, where Martin Sheen plays a malcontent 20-something garbage man named Kit who stumbles upon a teenage dreamer in Sissy Spacek starlet of Holly. The conversation starts innocent enough, but soon the young lovers turn into naïve dreamers caught up in a killing spree only a true story could produce.

Yes, the movie is based on a true story of the 1958 killings that left 11 people dead and the nation in an odd tension built between fear of the vigilante killers and the media darlings they had become.

Malick plays with this tension in the simple editing of the film. Long, sanguine shots show the gritty, dirty reality of the American skyline. These are intertwined with the matter-of-fact naivety of the young Holly’s innocent fairy-tale narration throughout the film. The stark contrast toys with your emotions as you watch the horrors of a torrent passion play unfold. And you see why the American public can become enamored with the characters, like old-school gunslingers evading modern-day peacekeepers.

The observation and patience that Malick displays in Badlands is the key to the film. The film is truly transcendental in that the film allows the viewer to live in the world of the characters on screen. It is an oddly enjoyable experience as we are allowed to ride along with the killers in a journey that cannot end well.