Steve Brewer wrote:
Gonzalo mentioned "Shotgun Stories," which I just watched via Netflix.
It's a noirish tale about a blood feud between two branches of a troubled
family in southeast Arkansas. I found it to be very well done, and I'll be
interested in hearing what Gonzalo and others think of this low-budget film.
I will
say that its portrayal of life in the Mississippi Delta country is exactly
right. I grew up not far from there, and "Shotgun Stories" is a good
reminder
of why I left.
--------------------------------
Coincidentally, I watched this last night! I concur with Steve's assessment
(though the story takes place less than 30 miles outside Little Rock, not
really in the Mississippi Delta).
It's certainly noirish in the sense of "screwed", at least for most of the
film. It's really sort of Greek tragedy for the repressed, inarticulate
redneck set. The writer-director states in the commentary that he intended
a very hopeful ending, so it's not noir in that sense. It's one of the best
films I've seen for capturing a certain kind of people who inhabit the rural
south. And the director (Jeff Nichols) avoids virtually every opportunity
to be too on-the-nose or to talk down to his audience. Recommended.
Jim Beaver
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