julien donkey boy

US, 1999, 95 minutes, Colour.
Ewan Bremner, Chloe Sevigny, Werner Herzog, Joyce Korine.
Directed by Harmony Korine.

julien donkey boy is the work of Harmony Korine, made when he was in his early twenties. Korine had already written the screenplay for Larry Clarke's Kids and directed Gummo. Both films were controversially received both critically and with the public. The Dogma group in Scandinavia, led by Lars van Trier, invited Korine to make this film according to the Dogma manifesto of using natural light, sounds etc. Korine seems to have gone to the extremes of the Dogma profession with his hand-held camera (30 cameras), the editing down of six and a half hours of filming, his using only improvised performances after throwing away his script. However, the camera work is absolutely stylised, generally not fully focused. Camera angles and camera movements are at times distracting, even though characteristic of Korine's film. There is a strong soundtrack with contemporary music, negro spirituals, Baptist hymns as well as Puccini. The film marks Korine's entry into the world of critical cinema - a view which he shares himself, considering himself a film genius and having contempt or disdain for most other film-makers. Audiences will make what they can of this film.

1. For what audience was the film made? The philosophy behind it?

2. The Dogma creed, natural lighting and sound, hand-held cameras, the reaction against artificiality of construction, filming, screenplay. How much of a Dogma film is this?

3. The impact of the visual style, focus, colour, movement? The range of sound? The editing and pace? Effect?

4. The range of music and its contribution: songs, Gospel, Puccini?

5. The fragmented nature of the film and the performances, shattered? Moments of lucidity? Julian living in a literal madhouse? The central character being schizophrenic and Korine's attempt to visualise the sights and sounds and consciousness of schizophrenia?

6. The prologue and the boy with the tortoise, Julian attacking him (killing him or not), the quoting of scriptures and the theme of the lamb of God taking away the sin of the world?

7. The religious motifs throughout the film, prayer, belief in God, individual religion and not going to church, the confessional sequence, the nun in the fantasy, the Baptist church and the preaching, the singing, the singing of Amen? The particularly Protestant salvation theology, the inner corruption of human beings, sin as not being able to be forgiven but merely to be covered over by the blood of Christ? The theology of the Crucifixion? Julian and his crucifix around his neck? The deaths in the film - and themes of atonement and forgiveness?

8. The house and the occupants: Gran and her love for her dog, Dad and his dress, dancing, gas masks etc? Pearl and her pregnancy, ballet dancing, harp-playing? Chris and his strenuous exercises, being hosed by his father? Mealtimes and discussions? Julian and his poem and his father dismissing it? A chaotic family?

9. Ewan Bremner's performance as Julian, his appearance, manner of speaking? In the house, taking his bath, looking in the mirror? The game with Pearl and the phone call and his mother concerned about his teeth and her being a dentist? Dad and his emphasis on people being champions, the wrestling sequence with Chris and Julian's inability to wrestle? His chaos poem and his father's dismissal of it? His work, with the blind people, with the group? At church, confession, listening to the sermons, singing the hymns? The skating, the blind girl and her talk about dying? Pearl's pregnancy, going to the hospital? Claiming the baby, holding it, taking it and destroying it?

10. Julian's father, his European background, the discussions about skiing, the stunt with balance and the cigarette? His personal dancing, music? His philosophy of winners? His long speech about the end of Dirty Harry and bullets and being lucky? The contrast of this realism with 'artsy fartsy poetry'? Hosing Chris, supervising the wrestling, his presence at church? His condemnation of Pearl and her harp-playing? The madness of the father and its effect on each of the children?

11. Pearl, the ballet practice, supervising the wrestling, pretending to be her mother and talking with Julian, the dentistry? The harp, going skating, the birth of the baby and its death?

12. Chris and his exercises, his father's pep talks about winning, the wrestling, the hosing?

13. At the club for the blind, the black albino and his rap song? The blind people and their lives, the bowling alley? The man with no legs and his drumming? The magician show - and the man swallowing all the cigarettes? The gallery of eccentrics and grotesques?

14. The young girl and the skating, blind, her discussions about death, sharing with Julien?

15. The ultimate impact of the film about life and its meaning, suffering, madness, family, friendship, life and death?