James Welch has long been considered a founding author of the Native American Renaissance and his novel, Winter In The Blood, was not only his first work; but, also became one of his most enduring. Considered a difficult read by many, it should be deemed a must read by all. With the Hi-Line of the big sky country Montana as its backdrop and told with the aunthenticity of one who knows
the historical and customary living on the Native Reservation, Alex and Andrew Smith successfuly remain true to the spirit and account of Welch's story.
By way of narrative, we are introduced to Virgil First Raise (played definitively by Chaske Spencer). Virgil depicts to us his past and present, keeping us absorbed as he chronicles his journey of the real and surreal - a place where the borders between the two are harshly blurred.
As the movie begins, Virgil is awakening from a drunken stupor at the bottom of a ditch. Jarred by flashes of recollection, this ditch is a constant in both the real and imagined; and, he frequently returns to
it causing us to wonder, is there something to it - could something have transpired there - that has a hold on him?
Inbetween his bouts of sobriety and drunkeness, it is clear that Virgil is discovering that he has neither put a stop to nor dealt with the past of those unresolved issues that
lie there: Does he have a responsibility to his mother and her choices? Should he have respect for Lame Bull? How can he read through his grandmother's silence? Who is he? What is the truth to his existence?
It is amongst these constants in his life that he must now deal with his wayward wife who has taken one of his most prized possessions: his father's rifle.
By no easy means, Virgil is reunited with his rifle but not without the up-and-down drama of his drinking combined with the incongruous flashbacks and present conflicts. It is after one of these
stupors that Virgil is introduced to Airplane Man.
David Morse's performance as Airplane Man is striking. (When you hear Alex and Andrew Smith talk about Morse's contributions to the character, his presentation is all the more powerful.)
Is the Airplane Man who he seems to be? Is he fantasy or reality? Salvation or damnation? Regardless of the answer, Airplane Man causes
Virgil to explore who he - himself - truly may be.
The Smith Brothers have given us, in this adaptation of Winter In The Blood, an insightful journey of self-discovery. By reflecting Welch's book onto the big screen,
they have left us with a tangible visual into a process of letting go of that which made us and embracing that which we can become.
Film: Winter In The Blood Directed by: Alex Smith and Andrew Smith Written by: Alex Smith, Andrew Smith, Ken White Based on the Novel by: James Welch Produced by: Andrew Smith, Alex Smith, Susan Kirr Executive Produced By: Heather Rae, Carl Hampe, Jason C. Miller, Peter Wiley Co-Produced by: Michael Prall and Amanda Pullinger Cinematographer: Paula Huidobro Edited By: Michael Hofacre Cast: Chaske Spencer, David Morse, Julia Jones, Gary Farmer, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, Lily Gladstone,
Casey Camp, Richard Ray Whitman, Michael Spears, David Cale Music By: Heartless Bastards Runtime: 98 minutes PR: PMK*BNC
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