“You have to bring a lot of yourself to this film if you want it to give something back, but the rewards are considerable.” — Jonathan Rosenbaum, The Chicago Reader
“A work of startling originality that will haunt you for a good, long time.” — Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
George Washington is a film that pulls together many of the ideas we’ve dealt with this semester. It is the first film by David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express, Your Highness) and was produced independently for a mere $42,000. In fact, it may be the most visually stunning film ever shot this cheaply. In many ways, it resembles an Italian Neorealist film: depictions of poverty, loose narrative, a cast of non-professional actors. It also fits many of the criteria of European Art Cinema. Finally, it might be described as an example of American Third Cinema, which we will cover in Friday’s lecture.
The story follows a group of predominantly African-American children during one tragic Summer in rural North Carolina. There is a plot, but the film dances around it. Like Italian Neorealism, it treats mundane events just as it treats the extraordinary ones. What’s most notable about the film is its unusual tone. Most of the non-actors improvised their own dialogue, which contributes to the film’s realistic feel; nevertheless, George Washington has a dream-like quality. Many critics have described the experience of the film as like reading poetry. To me, its one of the few films I’ve ever seen that gets the “feel” of small-town life in the South right: the way people can carry on conversations about nothing, the way children explore and play with anything they can find. While watching George Washington, don’t be overly concerned with the plot. Instead, pay attention to its pace, its images, its warmth. Few movies depict children—let alone black children—in such a way.
Twitter Prompts
#1: Identify one scene from George Washington that you found particularly striking, impressive, or interesting. What is it about this scene that appeals to you or perplexes you? HASHTAGS: #FILM2700 #GW
#2: George Washington‘s director, David Gordon Green, is a white filmmaker. With that fact in mind, how does this film differ from a blaxploitation film? In other words, is a movie from a white director with a black cast any less exploitative simply because its an “art” film? HASHTAGS: #FILM2700 #BLAX
#3: What do you think of the style of George Washington? Do you find it frustrating (like Blow-up)? Or is it ‘different’ in a good way? HASHTAGS: #FILM2700 #STYLE
UPDATE: All tweets due by 6pm on Wednesday, April 27th.
