Wise Blood (1979)
Genre: Drama / Comedy
Duration: 106 minuten
Country:
United States / West Germany
Directed by: John Huston
Stars: Brad Dourif, Amy Wright and Harry Dean Stanton
IMDb score:
6,9 (7.144)
Releasedate: 24 October 1979
Wise Blood plot
"An American Masterpiece!"
As a war veteran, young Hazel Motes (Brad Dourif) returns to his native region in the southern United States. There he sees a blind pastor proclaiming the word of God. The man claims that he has deprived himself of sight in order to see the 'real light'. Once again, Hazel is permeated by the hypocrisy of the church and, in order to open the eyes of his fellow townsmen once and for all, he makes an unusual decision. Hazel establishes his own church, the Church of Christ Without Christ, and preaches a faith without miracles or promises. However, it is not yet possible to find followers, although the daughter of the blind pastor, Sabbath Lily (Amy Wright) is not to be removed from Hazel.
Actors and actresses
Hazel Motes
Enoch Emory
Sabbath Lily
Asa Hawks
Landlady
Hoover Shoates
Grandfather
Preacher
Gonga the Gorilla (uncredited)
Reviews & comments
wendyvortex
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- 5309 messages
- 7326 votes
Finally able to review it today after it once made an indelible impression on 17-year-old Wendy. Fortunately, it has lost none of its strength over the years. Film is based on the book by Flannery O'Connor. Somewhat similar (in style) to Catcher In The Rye by JD Sallinger.
Via new (sub?) label Maelstrom. No no has nothing to do with me (vortex/maelstrom).
Translated from Dutch · View original
Spetie
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- 38871 messages
- 8522 votes
A very nice film by John Huston. I was in the film right from the strong opening scene. Brad Dourif plays really disarmingly. I really loved him here. The way in which he stands behind his story with conviction and in which he proclaims it again and again, in a certain way creates a lot of sympathy for him.
The story is funny, but not really special. The same applies to the acting of the supporting roles and the flow of the film itself. It is not all equally strong, but due to the fine direction, the beautiful atmosphere and Dourif's great role, there is more than enough to enjoy. The characters are nice and weird and in that respect quite reminiscent of a Herzog film, as I read here somewhere. But that is also because Dourif looks very similar to Klaus Kinsky, someone who has often played the leading role for Herzog.
Wise Blood won't be for everyone. It is a rather strange film, especially in the oeuvre of John Huston, who normally makes more accessible work. However, it does not diminish its power and shows that Huston is an extremely versatile director, of whom I need and want to see much more.
4.0*
Translated from Dutch · View original
Inland Rabbit
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- 3286 messages
- 2159 votes
The film has quite a problem with tone: I think John Huston is an atheist and thinks he can turn this into a comedy (of a different kind, the book is in its own way) through a light-hearted atmosphere and farcical situations. He does not do this, because he does not change the content. Since the content is ultimately extremely Christian, it took more to turn the film around. If only Huston did that, because now the final conclusion is still very one-sided. . It is striking that Huston has removed the passage that comes across as most Christian from the film. That was something along the lines of "If there's no bottom to your eyes, they hold more". Ultimately, Huston also hints at nihilism and his ending is not very hopeful. In the book, that ending was seen as hopeful, although I didn't see it that way. Still, this is a fun, strange film that is full of satire on racial hatred, the South and religious fanatics.
I have been a fan of O'Connor's short stories so far, but I found this book too unambiguous, not open enough and too pushy in its beliefs. The film doesn't change that enough, so I wonder whether Huston has understood the book, or on the other hand simply does not take the book "seriously"?
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