Review of Wise Blood (1979) by Eric M — 22 May 2009
John Huston's offbeat adaptation of Flannery O'Connor's acclaimed novel (unread by me) is certainly a unique viewing experience, though whether it's entirely successful is still up in the air for me.
The tone of the movie is often inconsistent, veering suddenly from broad comedy to bleak drama, and there are too many storylines that don't really seem to go anywhere. (A subplot involving an actor in a gorilla suit is probably the most glaring example.
) On the plus side, character actor Brad Dourif is outstanding in a rare leading role as Hazel Motes, a disillusioned young man who preaches an extremely unorthodox kind of faith after returning home from war, and the rest of his co-stars (particularly Stanton, Beatty, and Huston himself) are excellent as well.
Overall, I suspect the source material is probably a lot richer and more complex, and something may have gotten lost in translation. Still, this is an interesting curiosity from a great director that's worth seeking out and I can honestly say I've never seen any other movies like it.
This review of Wise Blood (1979) was written by Eric M on 22 May 2009.
Wise Blood has generally received positive reviews.
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