LONE STAR

US, 1996, 135 minutes, Colour.
Chris Cooper, Elizabeth Pena, Matthew McConnaughey?, Kris Kristofferson, Joe Morton, Clifton James, Miriam Colon, LaTanya? Richardson, Ron Canada, Frances McDormand?, Tony Plana.
Directed by John Sayles.

John Sayles has developed a reputation for making thoughtful films about American society, sometimes intricate pictures of different levels of that society. He weaves several stories together so that by the end of his films, we know characters, their background, their motivation and have a keener sense of humanity. He did it with a mining community in Matewan and with a New Jersey city in City of Hope. Here he is in a town on the US-Mexican border.

Lone Star uses the murder mystery genre: a body is discovered in the desert, a corrupt sheriff who was killed forty years before.

Sayles moves deftly between Texas in the present and in the past with the story of the sheriff and his deputy, the son of the deputy who has to investigate the murder (and who suspects his father is responsible), the personnel of an army base nearby and a teacher whose mother was an illegal immigrant. The social ingredients are topical and offer comment on both the good and the bad in human nature. Describing the film does not do it justice because it works so well visually and as story with something to say. It is a contender for one of the best films of 1996. Interesting, intelligent drama.

1. The title? The state of Texas? The 1950s and the 1990s? A portrait of Texas, Texan traditions? Critique?
2. Texas and its unique role in the United States? The history? The characters and events as being typical? The traditions, the issue of teaching the children, local bigotry and righteousness, colonialism and racism, the meetings, the school authorities? The prejudice against Latinos? Prejudice against the blacks? The background Mexico, the state, the Alamo, the spirit of the resistance? The aftermath? As influencing this film?
3. The town, small, the bars and clubs, homes, school, the outskirts, the countryside, the military establishment?
4. The score, songs and lyrics?
5. The structure: moving between the two periods? The cross-cutting, illustrating points, flashbacks? The dramatic build-up?
6. The military background, the fort, past use, the closure, winding-up business, the move? The effect on the town? Social, economic? Soldiers and their presence?
7. The picture of the law, the sheriffs in the tradition, elections? Corruption? Strict administration of the law, humane administration, lax and exploitative?
8. Sam, his story, being away, return to the town, elected sheriff, in the light of his father and his father's reputation? His own memories, resentful and critical? Illustrated in the flashbacks, the child with his father, his father's harsh attitudes, with the young Pilar? His happiness with her? The bond? People's comments about his father, the continual praise, his father helping people, people obliged to him? Sam’s need to assess his father and his reputation? The discussion with the other candidate for the election, not wanting to go behind his back? The continued illustrations of his father stretching the law, and Sam’s questions about his integrity?
9. The military men in the desert, searching and digging, the discovery of the skeleton? Identifying it, the bullet, forensics? The body of Charlie Wade?
10. Charlie Wade, appearing in the flashbacks? Tough, arrogant, controlling, cruel, violent? His deals? Working with Hollis? His attitude towards the illegal migrants? Confronting the truckload, killing Pilar’s father? The confrontation with the young Otis? Shooting people? Wanting money? His disappearance?
11. Hollis, old, good old Texan boy, with the police, serving with Sam’s father? Talk and bluff, at the club? Imminent retirement the flashbacks to his being young, with Charlie Wade, shocked of his behavior, finally defying him?
12. Pilar and her story? Teaching, the controversy about Mexican history, the meetings? Her son, his friends, the car damage, in custody, asking Sam help, getting him out? The son resentful of his mother, the talks at home? The sister and her mother's strictness? Pilar’s mother and her restaurant, successful business, her being harsh and a hard boss, the staff, the kitchen? Her attitude towards the Latinos, wanting them to speak English? Her devotion to the United States? The mystery of her husband, her flashback, the illegals, his being young, the breakdown, hiding the men and the truck, the confrontation with Charlie Wade, Wade shooting him? Rounding up the illegals? Sam's father and his relationship with Pilar’s mother, the photo, giving her Wade’s money? The illegals in the nineties, the breakdown, hiding in the river, the injury, the appeal by the employee to his boss, her initial reaction, her memories, driving to the hospital and helping? Pilar and her memories, her mother discouraging the relationship between Pilar and Sam? The present, the attraction, talking, the sexual encounter?
13. Otis and his story, Sam and his visiting the owner of the club, the wife, the questions? The flashbacks to the past, the club? Charlie Wade and extortion? Otis young, playing the numbers, the brash response to Wade, the violence and injury? Otis growing up, getting the club, his genial approach to people, his interest in history and the articles and photos? The blacks going to the club? Not wanting trouble with the military? The fight in the club, Otis urging his grandson to the exit?
14. The boy, his relationship with his father, in the military context, his mother, expectations that he would be in the army, his personal interest in art? Asking his father about his grandfather? The commander – Otis’ son? His visiting the club, stern, the rules? In uniform? The young woman at the club, the fight, her being interviewed, the test and her having drugs in her blood? The discipline and her being allowed to stay? The relationship between father and son, Otis as a neglectful father, his woman, the present wife and the rapport with Otis' son?
15. The military men, friendships, work, in the desert, the date with Priscilla, the discussion at the club, strong-minded military women, the issue of marrying and his friend’s reaction?
16. Sam, his visit to his ex-wife, a strong character performance, nerves, medical issues, ups and downs, the influence her father, the separation? The interaction between the two?
17. The buildup to the revelation of the truth, Charlie Wade and the shooting, confronting Otis, Hollis being asked to shoot, his killing Wade? The decision to bury Wade and the desert? Keeping the story quiet for decades?
18. The surprise of the ending for Sam and Pilar, the fact of the sheriff being the father of both of them? The fact of incest without any moralizing? Leaving it to the audience?
19. A film of a range of interesting characters, range of issues, in the context of Texas?