MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

US, 1992, 102 minutes, Colour.
River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, James Russo, William Richert.
Directed by Gus Van Sant.

My Own Private Idaho comes from a song by the B52s. It serves writer-director Gus Van Sant as the inspiration for his portrait of men on the fringe in the north-western states of the US.

Gus Van Sant was writer and director of Mala Noche as well as the successful Drugstore Cowboy. This time he focuses attention on male hustlers, young men living at the fringe of the American cities of Seattle and Portland, Oregon. River Phoenix, who won the prize for best actor at the Venice Film Festival in 1991, is a narcoleptic (a chemical disease which makes the sufferer prone to collapsing and sleeping, losing consciousness). He comes from a very disturbed background and makes his living as a male prostitute. Keanu Reeves is Scott, the rebellious son of the mayor of Oregon, who asserts himself by mixing with these men on the fringe and also working as a prostitute.

Van Sant gets his inspiration for the Scott character and the adult drug dealer and prostitute, Bob (played by writer-director William Richert (Success, Winter Kills, Jimmy Reardon)). The inspiration is Shakespeare (who gets credit for additional dialogue). However, more than additional dialogue is used: the structure is that of Falstaff and his relationship with Prince Hal in Shakespeare's Henry IV part 1 and part 2. The plot outline is used, much of Shakespeare's verse and prose is used (with 20th century slang and swearing added in). This goes right through the film from the appearance of Bob, the attempted robbery and the exaggerated stories as well as Scott's public rejection of Bob and his death. It is an interesting experiment, the Shakespeare blending well with contemporary language giving this fringe world its own artificial framework as well as consciousness.

There is also the background story of Mike searching for his mother, his coming across his brother/father and pursuing his mother to Italy. He seems doomed to be a loser, forever searching.

Mike's fantasy world, his dreams in his narcoleptic state are signified by voice-over, grainy photography for flashbacks of his mother, time-lapse photography of the scenery of the area. A great range of music is used on the soundtrack including Home on the Range and America the Beautiful as ironic comment on this glimpse of a part of American society.

Van Sant went on to make To Die For, Good Will Hunting and Psycho.

1.A portrait of a fringe world? Real/fantasy?

2.The work of Gus Van Sant, his interests, his vision? His portrait of Mike and his narcolepsy? Mike and his search for family? The Scott story and the adaptation of Henry IV part 1 and 2? Contemporary dialect with Shakespearian prose and poetry? The combination of these three story plots?

3.Reality and unreality? The title of the film and the B52s' song? Memories and private dreams? Time-lapse photography, lapses in time and sudden shifts of place as part of Mike's consciousness and unconsciousness?

4.The introduction with the definition and information about narcolepsy? Mike's appearance, voice-over, Idaho, his collapse, dream, memories? The experience of narcolepsy, the convulsions? The clients and their being disturbed? Scott and his help? The voice-over and the perspective? Mike's final narcoleptic fit and his being carried off in the car?

5.Idaho, the north-west, a proper area of American society? The ideal Idaho, the real Idaho? Landscapes, roads, mountains and scenery? Clouds and sky?

6.The captions and locations, Portland and Seattle, Idaho? Rome?

7.The world of hustlers, on the fringe, the film's sympathy towards the hustlers and their way of life? Selling themselves, canvassing clients? The homosexual perspective? Drug dealing and drug-taking?

8.River Phoenix's portrait of Mike: first appearance, close-up, age and experience, voice-over on the road, collapse? His memories of his mother and her tending him? The sexual encounter and the collapsing house? The memories of his mother and care? His going into the institution when young? The mystery of his father, the visit to his brother, the recognition of the father/brother and his anger? His yearning for what is normal? The clients, the fashionable woman and the three men, her apartment, his collapse? On the street, the Dutch Cleanser man? Being picked up in cars? On the street, on the beat? With the other young men? The talk about Bob, Bob's return to Portland? The Falstaff figure and Mike's following him? The robbery, Scott and his alternate plan, their frightening Bob and the men, taking the money? The humour of Bob's exaggerated story? The friendship with Scott, his help during the fits? On the road? The encounter with Hans? The later encounter, the hotel, the sexual encounter, the bike and the money? Mike and his being afraid of police and running from them? His hopes for life?

9.The information about his mother, going to the motel, the information about Rome? The ticket, the flight? In the Roman piazza? Scott's taking him to the farmhouse, his eager search, failure to find his mother, disappointment? His declaration of love for Scott on the road? His seeing Scott infatuated with the Italian girl? His leaving, standing at the Coliseum, the Italian client and his collapse? The plane ride and waking up to find himself home?

10.His return, on the street with Bob? Scott's rejection in the restaurant? Bob's death? The funeral, the dancing and celebration? Looking at Scott - and going back on the road, in Idaho, collapse - and being robbed of his shoes? Being carried into the car - an uncertain future?

11.The portrait of Scott, as a male prostitute, with the women, men clients? Friendship with Mike, helping him when ill, carrying him to safety? His background, his attitude towards his father, slumming, making his own money? Interaction with clients? His awareness of Bob, Bob in love with him? The plan for the robbery, his alternate plan and carrying it out? His mocking of Bob? People coming to find him for his father, in bed with Mike, going back to his father and spurning him? Going on the road, Mike's declaration of love? The bike, the encounter with Hans? Accompanying him to his home, in the hotel with Hans, the ticket for Rome? Falling in love with the girl, the sexual encounter? The collage of the encounter? His return home without Mike? Dressed properly, in the limousine, going to dinner, his future wife? Bob's appeal to him, his turning and spurning him? His being heir to his father, his father's death? The funeral and its proper Christian style - and his anger at looking at Bob's funeral celebration? His future?

12.Bob, on the streets, having the young men around him, drug-dealing? Infatuation with Scott? The Falstaff comparisons, the use of the Shakespearian text and plot, the robbery, the exaggerated running away and telling the story afterwards? The parallels with Mistress Qs Quickly as the landlady? The other followers? His hopes of success when Scott came into his inheritance? Scott's return, his entry into the restaurant, his being rejected? Death and burial? The group mourning over him? In himself - and enhanced by the Shakespearian parallels?

13.The young hustlers, the stories of their sexual encounters and abuse? On the streets? Devotion to Bob? Their grief? The parallel with the Italian hustlers at the Coliseum and in the Roman piazzas?

14.Hans, German background, in the United States, business? The encounters, sexual attraction? Clients? The cabaret performance, the buying of the bike?

15.Italy, the contrast with the United States, the countryside and the farmhouse, the girl, the domestic life? Her attraction towards Scott, the sexual encounter, becoming his wife - and absorbing his style on her going to America?

16.Mike's mother and her story, his search for her, the motel, Rome? As seen in the flashbacks? Descriptions of her, her character? His brother/father? Drunk, the paintings, keeping them around him, the clash with Mike?

17.The Portland social world, the mayor, his council, plans? Disappointment with his son, interviews? His death? The contrast with the fringe world?

18.The world of the hustlers, their livelihood, money, survival? Using sexuality? Emotional commitment? Future?