SON OF THE SOUTH

Lucas Till     Lex Scott Davis     Lucy Hale     Julia Ormond

Brian Dennehy     Cedrick the Entertainer    Shamier Anderson

 

     This is a movie like many we’ve seen before about the blatant racism of the Deep South during the time of the early civil rights movement in the early 1960’s. It’s based on the memoir (The Wrong Side of Murder Creek:  A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement) of Bob Zellner a young man at the time who lived in Alabama and was bound for college in the north, but kept being drawn into the movement by activists and circumstances.  He’s an older man by the time of movie preparation, but was consulted on the script by Barry Alexander Brown and Constance Curry (co-author of the book).

     Bob Zellner (played by Lucas Till in a fine performance) simply wants to visit a local Methodist Church for information for his high school essay, and ropes in a few of his friends to go with him.  He seems very neutral, having been brought up by a father who left the KuKluxKlan after a sojourn in Russia where he became acquainted with Negroes and a grandfather (Dennehy) still wholly committed to the Klan, and Bob is now ready to make up his own mind.  

   But in the Sixties, it was almost impossible to remain neutral; either one was for or against negroes, and it’s chilling to listen to the hatred toward black people spewed out by southerners in the film.  We see some of Bob’s friends gradually fade away as he makes new friendships that are more meaningful for him.

     As a result, in his openness to new ideas and people, Bob is transformed, although not without some pain and suffering.  The movie does a good job in illustrating the divisions among family and friends when race becomes such an urgent issue.  It’s odd for our ears to hear “you can’t kill him because he’s [white and] from Alabama!” and to see the division among life-long southerners when confronted with this dilemma.

     Son of the South is not quite successful in at least a couple of ways.  One is that it is more of a revisiting of an issue rather than something new that we’ve never seen before in so many films (Just Mercy, Selma, Loving, Get Out, Fruitvale Station, e.g.).  (Not that I’m saying we shouldn’t be reminded; it’s still moving to see the film.)  The other is related to the script and to the actors not sounding like real people.  At times, it’s like listening to actors reading a script in the first round. The experienced actors have no problem, but others clearly sound like they are reading for an audition.  

A film to remind us of the struggles and heartbreaks activists endured in the Civil Rights Movement.

Grade:  C+                                    By Donna R. Copeland

KNIGHT OF CUPS

Christain Bale   Cate Blanchett   Natalie Portman   Freida Pinto   Brian Dennehy   Antonio Banderas   Wes Bentley   Imogen Poots

          Beautifully filmed by Emmanuel Lubezki, Terrence Malick’s latest production falls short of his previous work, which I always enjoyed.  However, this production seems to be going over similar material as before, with even less plot to carry the viewer along.  Knight of Cups starts with a tale about a prince charged by his father with finding a pearl, but the son goes after the party life, forgetting all about the stone.  The king does not forget, and sends repeated messages to his son as reminders.  Finally, an earthquake catches his attention.

We’re then introduced to Rick (Bale), a melancholy figure who appears to be working through his tumultuous relationships with his father (Dennehy) and brother (Bentley) and tracing the paths he took with the four women in his life (Blanchett, Pinto, Portman, and Poots).  Regret is a salient emotion marking his memories of all. 

        His thoughts are marked by the rueful as well.  “Pieces of your life never come together; that’s damnation.”  “Dreams are nice, but you can’t live in them.”  “So much I was given; so much I left behind.”  “I spent 30 years not living life; I couldn’t remember the man I wanted to be.”

           The end contains short admonitions that seem to come from father to son.  “Love’s so rare that when you find it, don’t let it go.”  “Pay attention to this moment; everything is there, perfect and complete just as it is.”

        The characters don’t speak much in real conversation—we mostly hear voiced thoughts—so most of what they convey is in their movements.  The film is divided into sections that represent Tarot cards, i.e., The Hermit, The Hanged Man, The Tower, The High Priestess, Death, etc.  A closer viewing of the film might shed some light on the metaphorical meaning of each section.

       Much of the entertainment/enjoyment of the film will be derived from Lubezki’s cinematography, although Jungian scholars will no doubt understand the archetypes best, and derive more meaning from Malick’s work.

Obscure meanings, but Lubezki’s sumptuous cinematography compensates.

Grade:  C           By Donna R. Copeland