Review of Sling Blade (1996) by Kevin M — 23 Feb 2012

It's got an ignorant mind going on in the best way possible. There's a simplicity to every scene in Sling Blade that's very hard to describe. The story is so simple but has all of the characteristics of a good drama: acting, character development, and emotion.

It reminded me of Forrest Gump a little, both about a guy who isn't too bright but shows his wits through his actions. Billy Bob Thornton completely transformed himself for this role so impressively that he is almost unrecognizable.

Karl Childers is only a character that could've been written and acted for my a true master. It's amazing how Thornton managed to switch from acting as Karl back to directing in every shot. This seems like the kind of character an actor would need to stay in and prepare greatly for, and it really shows in Thornton's performance.

He totally deserved the Oscar nomination. Watching Karl and his young friend Frank walk and have the simplest conversation is interesting because the characters are interesting. The way it's filmed is unique as well: most of the cuts are excessively long which also shows how much preparation these actors had to do.

Thornton managed to take on the three biggest components in making a movie: directing, writing, and starring and he did all three masterfully. Sling Blade is a total marvel to experience, it's beauty and genius shown through every line and every scene.