Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by tinear (A) on December 18, 2009 at 08:04:20

Americans. This documentary-like film is very similar to another American classic, "Exiles," in that it carefully shows the existence of a minority family as it seeks to survive day-to-day. Burnett is a master at painting beautiful scenes with a minimalist's touch and, like "Exiles," the film isn't self-serving, preachy, or trite; rather, it uses the hard-working central character--- the slaughterhouse "sheep killer"--- as a prism through which to magnify the pressures upon a poor urban family. From his "friends" always prepared to hit him up for a "loan," to those seeking to enlist his steady hand, cool head, and powerful shoulders in better-paying criminal acts, we accompany him through his daily minefield.
No speeches, no bemoaning of the situation are forthcoming nor do they appear even considered: he is so exhausted by his daily routine, and he is so enamored of his children and wife, that complaint isn't once begun. In all of American film, there isn't a better portrayal of strength, of courage in the face of certain daily adversity, than that of this surprisingly complex man and his wife.
It rightfully is hailed as an American classic but it is universal.