The Rough South of Larry Brown

This is a review for the documentary film, "The Rough South of Larry Brown". The artistry in Larry Brown's writing is found in the way he tells his stories. This documentary finds artistry in the way it tells of Larry Brown. I was a fan of Brown's writing before this film. However, I don't think it is necessary to be familiar with his work in order to enjoy this documentary. This is because of the honest way it represents Brown's slow, Southern writing style. It acts as a companion to Brown's stories, style, and life. By mixing classic documentary techniques, such as interviews and family photos, with the narrative Filmmaking of three short films based on Brown's short stories, filmmaker Gary Hawkins has created a documentary that is a part of its subject as much as it is an exploration of it. Through the course of the film we are told the unique story of Brown's discovery of writing, which didn't occur until his thirties, and his subsequent development of that disciplined craft. Woven into Brown's life story are the three short narrative films based on his stories: "Boy and Dog", "Samaritans", and "Wild Thing". The insights we gain into the writing are provided by the insights we gain into the writer. We see the characters on screen struggle with their problems right alongside Brown himself. This makes us feel like we are getting a complete portrait of this person, a task not often accomplished in biographical documentaries.