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Post-Modern Western Is A Quirky Little Gem
I recently saw this film at the Toronto World Wide Short Film Festival. This was just a really great little film. It's too bad that there are so few venues that showcase short films. The film revolves around a very odd cowboy (or just some nut posing as a cowboy)driving in his beat up oldsmobile (with bull horns)looking for the "open road". Metaphorically speaking, it's very much like the classical old western's where the cowboy is in search of open land where he can live as free man on his own time. Along the way he stops off at a gas station that doesn't sell gas, picks up a strange hitchiker who may know more than he's leading on, and badly croons along to countless country songs like Johnny Cash's "Ring Of Fire". It seems rather simple, but unknown to the cowboy, he is driving around in circles in a time loop. Round and round he goes, not once ever knowing or noticing that he goes around in circles continuously. Everyone around him knows, but he's either to stupid or ignorant or crazy to know. It's kind of like an episode of the "Twilight Zone".
This really doesn't explain the film because it's about a whole lot more than that. It kind of spoofs on the classical cowboy persona and the old American values of the West and makes comment on the idea of freedom or, more importantly, wanting freedom. The cowboy aspires to "be free", but ironically, he's going in circles. But in his own way, through his ignorance or insanity, is actually is free, smoking his "smokes", singing to the songs he loves, and admiring the beauty of the open country side.
I've never seen or heard of any of the actors. I'm sure that they were all amateurs but they were all great. Especially the cowboy. He emmulated someone who obviously does not come from the country but speaks with that Southern drawl. He wears a really bad straw cowboy hat and attatches bull horns on his car with duck tape. His whole outfit is that of someone who is trying really hard to be a "cowboy" but pretty much misses the mark on every account. And he had these quirky little sangs like, "Shiiiiit and carry four" and "cool like Kenny Rogers". The whole time you're watching him you're thinking there's just not quite something right about this guy. Like how he talks to his air freshner that is a picture of a naked Playboy.
The film had a really laid back vibe to it and was beautifully shot in black & white with compositions very similar to that of an old John Ford film. It completely emmulated and exploited the conventions of the Old West making it a great little quirky film. If you see this on your programme at a film festival definitely check it out. It's totally refreshing and worth seeing.
This really doesn't explain the film because it's about a whole lot more than that. It kind of spoofs on the classical cowboy persona and the old American values of the West and makes comment on the idea of freedom or, more importantly, wanting freedom. The cowboy aspires to "be free", but ironically, he's going in circles. But in his own way, through his ignorance or insanity, is actually is free, smoking his "smokes", singing to the songs he loves, and admiring the beauty of the open country side.
I've never seen or heard of any of the actors. I'm sure that they were all amateurs but they were all great. Especially the cowboy. He emmulated someone who obviously does not come from the country but speaks with that Southern drawl. He wears a really bad straw cowboy hat and attatches bull horns on his car with duck tape. His whole outfit is that of someone who is trying really hard to be a "cowboy" but pretty much misses the mark on every account. And he had these quirky little sangs like, "Shiiiiit and carry four" and "cool like Kenny Rogers". The whole time you're watching him you're thinking there's just not quite something right about this guy. Like how he talks to his air freshner that is a picture of a naked Playboy.
The film had a really laid back vibe to it and was beautifully shot in black & white with compositions very similar to that of an old John Ford film. It completely emmulated and exploited the conventions of the Old West making it a great little quirky film. If you see this on your programme at a film festival definitely check it out. It's totally refreshing and worth seeing.
helpful•10
- thevault
- Sep 5, 2003
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- Runtime18 minutes
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