Wise Blood Review

"Nothing matters but that Jesus doesn't exist" proclaims off-kilter individualist Hazel Motes (Brad Dourif) in his best hick twang. This left field look at Christianity and confusion in Bible Belt America is a gem, riddled with hidden depths only repeated viewings and deep contemplation will uncover. Adapted from the novel of the same name by devout Christian Flannery O'Conner and directed by atheist and legendary director John Huston, Wise Blood is a mixed up movie and all the better for it.

Returning from war with only a tumbled down house and his parent's grave stones for company, Hazel Motes ventures off to a nearby city with the promise that "I'm gonna do some things I ain't never done before." Upon arrival he sets about chastising the hypocrisies and illogicalities of fundamentalist deep south Christianity, culminating in his attempts to set up 'The Church of Truth Without Christ'.

His crusade, defined by the absence of Jesus, yet wholly indebted to Christianity, is complimented by a host of characters just as confused and twisted as he is. Blind preacher Asa Hawks (Harry Dean Stanton) becomes a icon of derision, a relationship Hazel enjoys so much that he moves into the same boarding house. Asa's amorous daughter Sabbath Lilly (Amy Wright) provides Hazel with a sexual companion he has no idea what to do with.

John Huston was apparently convinced that the movie was a comedy, and his affirmation shines through consistently. A series of absurd occurrences overlay the deep dark subtext, more likely to provoke jovial grins than uproarious belly-laughs. Much of the comic relief comes in the form of persistent simpleton Enoch Emery (Dan Shor), his slack-jawed antics reaching a crescendo as he crusades around town in a giant gorilla suit demanding that startled passers-by shake his hand.

The comedy of Wise Blood is just one stratum in a multilayered construction that is gratifyingly free of narrative signposts, unlike so much recent Hollywood output. I was genuinely unsure of what oddball behaviour Hazel Motes might engage in next, and so the dramatic events that signal the start of the darker final third caught me delightfully unaware.

Wise Blood is not without it's flaws. The characters are often just too dysfunctional to be truly engaging, and a decidedly odd choice of up-beat twangy guitar score does little to aid the on screen action. Yet there is so much multifarious depth to the film that you can't help but be intrigued. Hazel Motes' journey is supposed to be one of redemption, but the conflicting views of author and director muddy the final outcome. This is a truly individual film, the like of which you are unlikely ever to see again.

Extras

The only accompaniment available is a set of four cast and crew interviews from Brad Dourif (Hazel Motes), Amy Wright (Sabbath Lilly) and co-writers Michael and Benedict Fitzgerald. Dourif has some interesting things to say about the film that adds yet more food for thought. In separate interviews the writer brothers recount largely the same behind the scenes stories, but the information is consistently interesting.


Joseph Ewens...