Red Dirt

If you enjoy being spoon-fed at the theater or in front of your television, then this movie isn't for you. If you are offended by a subtle gay storyline however non-offensive it may be, then perhaps a night out at Hooters would be better suited for you. But if you think you might enjoy a movie with interesting Southern characters, set amidst some fine beauty from the southern part of the U.S., then this flick might be for you. The direction IS just fine and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked the characters. Karen Black is a real treat here.

While I do agree with many of the comments others had on the subject they have little affect on the overall impact of the film. Even the actors accents which all sound different - a cross between Australian and Bostonian and are often labored become less obstructive as the plot progresses.

Some would probably have liked this film to be more overtly gay or a Cinderella feel or the very least more nudity, might mask their disappointment by nitpicking about the pitfalls of the story,dialogue, characters and technicals. That's the only reason I can see for this film getting such a low rating and the ranting by some.

I don't disagree with many of the other comments made on the technicals of the filming, editing or characterization, but I was not disappointed in the end by any means nor do I think any of these technical drawbacks ruin one of the best love stories I've ever seen.

"Red Dirt" is not quite like any film –independent or otherwise – to have come out in some time. Some seem to have been disappointed that this wasn't a great southern "romance" either straight or gay and others seem to have been unable to connect with the characters.

While the premise is easily recognizable and perhaps, predictable even, what Purvis did was take a standard situation - and give it a spin all its own with fresh, inviting characters.

I feel Mr. Purvis captures perfectly a small town in the deep South. Deadly silence punctuated by birds, wolves, crickets, locust, rain. Then there are the crazy southern women (all 4 women in this showed signs of madness) always with deeply hidden and long held secrets. All of these women exhibit a wondrously wide (and wild) range of emotions from instability to madness to wise.

One of the most touching elements of the film was the bonding connection between Emily and Aunt Summer, with Em's final "goodbye" an arrestingly beautiful film moment.

The gay repression angle works perfectly here, both men quiet about it, but Griffith actually socially naïve and stunted enough into thinking what is going on between he and Lee is strictly friendship. His unhinging and rage were moving.

Comments about Karen Black's being "all over the place" are correct, but this is not a bad thing. Her character is just that – emotionally unstable, a lifetime of guilt over her secret which is what is driving her mad. We see that pent up madness within her coming out in her dramatic loony-tune sequences and her escape into music makes perfect sense.

To those who complained about a lack of romantic ending, I can't imagine a more classically "romantic" then this; rage, revelation and confusion subsiding into sadness, forgiveness, self-awareness and acceptance . . . as the sun streams down on a glorious southern evening.

Physically, as well, this is a stunning film, the photography breathtaking, the colors vivid and true.

I did not, quite honestly, expect to enjoy this film at all. Instead I found myself drawn in, touched watching these self-imposed alienated characters trying to connect with another human, and ultimately I found myself deeply moved.

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This film is as slow as turning a nearly-empty bottle of molasses on its side, and watching it run down for two hours; a real waste of time.

Despite its beautiful photography and numerous outdoor scenes, there is a constant claustrophobic feel, probably due to the small cast; it has a wierd "inbred" feeling. The characters don't seem like they are part of their surroundings. Whenever Karen Black is on the screen, its like she is pulling energy out of everything around her.

Its not really a "gay" film - the characters certainly don't consider themselves gay; there is no male-male sex (but some straight sex scenes). The sudden claims of male love come out of nowhere, and just aren't very believable. There is potential dynamite in the sub-text of a man and a woman competing for the affections of the lead male character, but it never catches fire here. The ending appears to be trying for some kind of "nobility of denial" as the characters avoid acting on their feelings, but it never really resolves.

No doubt this film has great personal resonance for the film-maker, and presumably for other rural Southern gay guys stuck on farms (who are unlikely to know it exists!). Ultimately its a not particularly interesting failure. I think that the film-maker just pulled too many punches, and either couldn't or wouldn't make the film this could have been.

Red Dirt is a story with two main themes: claustro- and agoraphobia, literal in the case of our protagonists' dotty Aunt Summer, and more abstract in the portrayal of cousins Griffith (desperate to escape town) and Emily (resigned to sharing her female relatives' fate of never leaving); and the difficulty and pain of expressing love, and changes in love. When a stranger, Lee, comes to stay at their farm, he acts as a catalyst that eventually brings all their secrets out of the woodwork, and it hurts as much as it sets everyone free.

In today's world of determinist sexuality and identity politics, it's clear why this film goes down like a ton of bricks with some people - many won't find it satisfying to watch a story of people falling in (and out) of love with no neat labels that can be attached to their desires. Even more disturbing to some will be the hint that love and sex are not the same thing. Yet this is exactly what I found so moving about this film, and such a welcome change from the teenager-coming-out stock of gay films that, despite being of some value to those that need them, have become tedious to those that no longer do. Fond as I am of man-on-man action, and not being much of a romantic, I was therefore very surprised to be so moved by a film simply about love, and not to have to suffer through another truckload of big-city gay clichés.

The acting, cinematography and photography are all superb - I could have done with a little less of the weepy soundtrack but really that's a tiny quibble.