Wise Blood (1979)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

John Huston

Writers:

Flannery O'Connor (novel)
Benedict Fitzgerald (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

17 February 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

An American Masterpiece!

Plot:

A Southerner--young, poor, ambitious but uneducated--determines to become something in the world. He decides that the best way to do that is to become a preacher and start up his own church.

Plot Keywords:

Religion | Black Comedy | Southern Gothic | Fanaticism | American South

Cast

Brad Dourif	...	Hazel Motes
John Huston	...	Grandfather (as Jhon Huston)
Dan Shor	...	Enoch Emory
Harry Dean Stanton	...	Asa Hawks
Amy Wright	...	Sabbath Lily
Mary Nell Santacroce	...	Landlady
Ned Beatty	...	Hoover Shoates
William Hickey	...	Preacher
J.L. Parker
Marvin Sapp
Richard Earle
Herb Kossover
Betty Lou Groover
John Tyndall
Gillaaron Houck

Also Known As:

Der Ketzer (West Germany)
Die Weisheit des Blutes (West Germany)
Jhon Huston's Wise Blood (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA | West Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Sweden:15 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | UK:15 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Macon, Georgia, USA

Company:

Anthea

Quotes:

Hazel: ...the Church of Christ Without Christ. Where the blind can't see, the lame don't walk, and the dead stay that way.

Exquisite Bittersweet Black Comedy

Black humor has never been done better. But this is not a film for the squeamish. It's going to take some thought. Not a film to be watched while doing the dishes. This is a challenging but rewarding film that borders on being a great work of art. The first time I saw this film I was impressed. Each time I rewatch this movie it becomes more funny in an odd sort of fatalistic way. Each time I rewatch it it becomes more impressive. It's almost impossible to describe the way the bittersweet pathos of the movie collides with the funny, goofy, craziness of the characters. We've seen these people but rarely do we really consider their lives. They're damaged or idiots or inept swindlers or all three. We look at them with small amusement or try to get away from them, but don't give them much thought. I usually don't care much about actors. They are a dime a dozen. This film is different. This is pretty much every actors best role. Brad Dourif shows why he should be way more famous. Amy Wright is spellbinding in as a very strange girl. Dan Shor is hilarious and pathetic at the same time as a lonely moron. Stanton is hysterically funny as an utterly corrupt preacher. Lot's of other unusual and interesting performances including a small but wonderful performance by a sympathetic one armed mechanic, a wise but vicious highway patrolman and a small town hooker enjoying her own downward spiral. In the end all of the characters are doomed, but they are all worth caring for in spite of and because of their own strange but very human weaknesses. In addition it's beautifully filmed and has a heart rendering score that fits it perfectly. Reputed to be Hustons own personal favorite film, it bombed at the box office. Highly recommended.