DRUNKTOWN’S FINEST
US, 2014, 90 minutes, Colour.
Jeremiah Bitsui, Carmen Moore, Morning Star Angeline.
Directed by Sydney Freeland.
Perhaps the tone of the title is a bit harsh for what we actually see. Nevertheless, while there is harshness, there is also some kind of humanity, even hope.
The film focuses on three young characters from an Indian reservation, the three actors as well as some of the supporting cast being of Navajo background. This means that there are three intertwining stories, the young man who joins the Army but has great difficulties with supporting his family. He does have friends who try to help, his wife struggling with the difficulties. There is also a very lively transvestite looking for employment and identity. The third character is a young woman who has been brought up by a white family who has not been told about her original family and who goes to seek them out.
In many ways, this is an offbeat film, but does raise universal issues sympathetically.
1. The title, the tone?
2. The New Mexico settings, the background of Native Americans, the Navajo tried?
3. The New Mexico locations, the reservations, the towns, the military base, homes, Paul, affluent? Volunteer work of the state? The media, beauty pageant auditions?
4. The interconnection of the stories, the grim aspects of each light?
5. The young man, his background, Native American, pregnant girlfriend, hopes? His propensity for anger? Drugs, the fights? Joining the military? His friend coming to rescue him, advice? His choices? With the transsexual, attracted to her, the drinking and drugs, discovering his mistake, his reaction? The visits to his girlfriend, the visit to the angry the daughter, the physical attack, his arrest, the military coming again, his prospects?
6. The transsexual, as a boy, school, changing and growing up, his secrets, the family and relatives, the support? His friends? The calendar and the photo with the Native American girls? Dressing up, style, the auditions, seen as genuine because of his language, hopes? The schoolmate, mocking, denunciation? His performance, the good response, his reaction to the dump denunciation, his pain, retiring, the decision to move into state and start again?
7. The girl, Navajo background, adopted, turning 18, the prospect of her studies, her volunteering for social book, travelling with the men, sharing with them? The interconnection with the others? The secrecy of background, getting information about her birth parents, visiting the grandparents, the encounter with grandparents, they’re keeping to the traditions, the? The letter is not given to? The adoptive parents, protection? Are being upset, confronting her adoptive parents, the reactions, motivations? Yet her love, her future, going to study?
8. A cross-section of young people in difficult situations? The Native American background?
