DARK BLOOD

US, 1993/2012, 86 minutes, Colour.
River Phoenix, Judy Davis, Jonathan Pryce, Karen Black.
Directed by George Sluizer

Movie buffs have been waiting for 20 years to see this film. And it is the film by Dutch director, George Sluizer (both versions of The Vanishing), where River Phoenix died two weeks before the end of filming. It became of the property of producers and bankers until the director himself decided to try to rescue the footage and with financial contributions, especially from the Dutch government, he has produced a version of his film.
Fortunately, he filmed the scene at the end, otherwise the film could not have been rescued. It would seem that all of Jonathan Pryce’s scenes were filmed and most of those of Judy Davis. There are several scenes missing that involve River Phoenix, although there are some visuals with the director himself speaking the voiceover lines. Otherwise, there are several freeze-frames with the director describing the unfilmed action. So now Dark Blood exists as a film.

It is not a particularly outstanding film. River Phoenix, getting older, gives a rather sullen performance. Dark blood, he explains, is the stream of depression in the bloodstream. He is part Hopi Indian, living alone, with a strange cave house built because he believes the world will end soon. It is full of Hopi art and traditions. Since it is River Phoenix’s last performance, this is all of cinema history interest.

And the location is New Mexico, the desert, the mesas, the canyons. It opens with some Hopi ruins with Harry and Buffy, married film stars with two children in Los Angeles, prone to needling each other and arguing, are passing by. Their car breaks down and they stay in a dilapidated motel, managed by Karen Black, who fills in some background: the deserted town is near Los Alamos. Crowds of tourists used to come for the atomic bomb tests. Once they stopped, the town died. And there is the danger of contamination which is a key element later in the film.

Unable to take advice, Harry sets out again to confirm his acceptance of a role in a new film. The car breaks down - again. In the middle of nowhere. Stranded, seemingly hopelessly, they argue. But Buffy sees a light and walks to the isolated home of Boy (Phoenix).

What follows is discord. Harry’s car is taken for fixing but he wants to leave at once, trying to persuade Boy to drive him. Boy delays, shows his attraction and desire for Buffy, takes Harry hunting and loses him for a while. As Harry gets more agitated and jealous, he begins to walk to the town but has to be rescued by Boy. Later the couple escape and have to be rescued again because they have taken refuge in a contaminated building ruin. The film shows the arrogance of people like Harry, arrogance and presumptuousness. While Buffy, under the skin, is an ordinary woman. Boy is a complex mixture.
Judy Davis is in good form as is Jonathan Pryce.

A cinema oddity and renewed relic.

1. The history of the film? Production in 1993? River Phoenix’s death? The remaining footage, not accessible, the director and his new opportunity, the funding, altering details of the plot, his voiceover comments? His explaining the un filmed scenes?

2. The new Mexican locations, the desert, the mesas, the canyons, the Hopi Indians, the ruins, the traditions, the arts, the towns, the roads, the beauty and the harshness? The history of Los Alamos, the atomic bomb tests, the contamination, the local towns dying after the tourists’ stopped coming?

3. The cast, their status in 1993, in retrospect? River Phoenix’s last performance?

4. The editing, the voiceover, the continuity? Explaining the unfilmed scenes?

5. The interaction between Indians and whites, the passing-through tourists’, their intrusion, destruction, arrogance? Indian feelings?

6. Buffy and Harry, on tour, reading the guidebook, she wanting a drink? Reading the script in the car, Harry’s role, toss the script out the window? Their reputations? Buffy’s Las Vegas’ past and Boy with her picture? Money? The children in Los Angeles?

7. The breakdown, Harry driving, getting the car repaired, the mute worker and his success? The manager of the hotel, her comments about the wedding ring, told to mind her own business, the explanation about Los Alamos, the advice not to go, Harry ignoring it? The explanation of the injury to Buffy and the glass in her foot?

8. The second breakdown, desperation, in the middle of nowhere, their reactions, Harry more arrogant, preoccupied with time, money? Buffy less moody, her real love, trying to sleep?

9. The light in the night, Buffy walking through the desert, finding Boy, his help, with her foot? Coming to help Harry, his reaction, going to the house?

10. Boy, his character, age, experience, his explanation of dark blood and depression? His posters, sex pictures, his desire for Buffy?

11. Buffy, flirting, realizing the attraction, but her love for Harry?

12. The Indians arranging for Harry’ car to be fixed? His wanting to get to St John? The arguments, Boy and his reactions, fixing his truck, taking Harry hunting, Harry a good shot, Boy losing him and then finding him? The gun, the dog?

13. Boy and his talk about the visitors, night being too dark to drive?

14. Harry stealing the keys, their attempt to get away, Boy and his gun? Harry, walking to St John, without a hat, the bottle of water, on the wrong road, Boy rescuing him, his anger, sun-struck, locked in the shed?

15. Boy taking Buffy to his special cave, the end of the world, the traditions, the panic? Boy and the gift of his painting for Buffy?

16. Harry, the fight with Boy, the axe, wounding Boy’s head, killing the dog? The warning about the car coming? His ignoring it? The violent consequences?

17. The escape, going to the contaminated village, the radiation, Boy’s explanation, rescuing them?

18. Harry, the shock at Boy’s death? Buffy’s shock? The Indians arriving with the car, carrying Boy into the house, his dying, wanting Buffy, her undoing her
blouse? His death?

19. Harry, talking about the law, the Indian revealing himself as the sheriff? The Indians letting Harry and Buffy go in their car? Burning the house?

20. An interesting story of intercultural clashes?