Spine #709

My respect for the western genre, and to a lesser degree, John Wayne, continues to grow. That’s because Red River is a story that paints many of its characters in a not so pleasant light. Especially Wayne, who plays Thomas Dunson. He’s an emboldened cattle rancher who decides to abandon the wagon train we see early on in the film. He has bigger plans, which include setting up shop in Texas. He has his eyes set on a…

Spine #707

I’m still processing Il Sorpasso, an existential road move with not a care in the world. Or so it seems. A bittersweet message in its third act brings the whole film into focus. Which is much needed given the fact that we spend over 2/3rd’s of the film indulging in the escapades of our two leads like there’s no tomorrow. We watch as a pair of strangers become old friends. And the film speaks to those who believe…

Who is this film for? And what is it looking to accomplish? 

These are the two questions that have been swirling around in my mind almost a week later after watching Green Book, Peter Farrelly's racial road movie about the classically trained pianist Don Shirley, Tony "Lip" Vallenlonga, and their 1960's journey through the deep south. I know the answer to both questions, but I don't think Peter knows and I don't think that co-writer Nick Vallenlonga knows either. But…

I’ve been wanting to jot down something about this film for a minute now. And I’m pretty sure that this film's been covered from about every angle imaginable. So let me try approaching it from this angle. Let’s talk about my pity for Sal.

When I mention a pity for Sal, I’m not referring to pity for the man himself. I’m referring to his desire to cling to whiteness, the construction of it, and the burden it places on black…