EVE’S BAYOU

US, 1997, 109 minutes, Colour.
Jurnee Smollett, Meagan Good, Samuel L. Jackson, Lynn Whitfield, Debbi Morgan, Jake Smollett, Diahann Carroll, Vondie Curtis -Hall, Roger Guenveur Smith, Lisa Nicole Carson, Brandford Marsalis.
Directed by Kasi Lemons.

A story of the American south, of the African American south, not of poverty or oppression, but of more affluent and educated families and their problems.

Visually beautiful, the story is recounted by the ten year old daughter, with her limited understanding of her parents and their love and clashes, her love for her sister and the experience of betrayal, tragic violence. Actress Kasi Lemmons wrote and directed the film. It has a strong women's perspective which makes it different from other films, emotional as well as thought-provoking

1.The first film of the director, her skills? Acclaim for the film?

2.An African American Creole background in Louisiana, in the bayous? The film taking for granted racial issues and not emphasising them? The background of the French soldier, Batiste, his marrying Eve, the descendants?

3.The title, a backwater, the atmosphere of the South? How symbolic?

4.The beauty of the photography, 1962, the bayou, the mansion, the town? The musical score?

5.The introduction with Eve’s voice-over, the age of ten, killing her father, the memories? The effect on her?

6.The importance of memories, moving through time, past, present and future, Eve’s perspective? The perspectives of the other central characters? The use of the mirror for the past reflections? Magic and voodoo? The black and white touches? The impact?

7.The party, the introduction to the family, the members of the family? Status, affluence, the professional world? Yet their not having achieved as much as possible? In the backwater?

8.Eve and her sister, Cisely? A strong relationship, talking with each other, Cisely and their sexual experience of her father, Eve and her love for her father, Cisely’s talk, the suggestion of something incestuous? Eve going out, discovering her father with Matty? Her shock, the traumatic effect, finally being absorbed, some kind of understanding? The finale, talking with Cisely, some balance in her life?

9.Louis Batiste, as the local doctor, his skills? His relationship with his wife, their difficulties? With his daughters? His roving eye, his womanising with his patients? Cisely and her encounter with her father, her approach or his? His leaving the note, about Cisely’s approach? The issue of unconscious drives, of daughter, of father, mutual?

10.The importance of Aunt Mozelle? Her gift for foresight, her character, reminiscing, the bond with Eve, the memories of her husbands, the description of the tragic death of her second husband, the one who loved her?

11.Eve and her reaction to her father’s behaviour, her discovering some gift in herself, her dream about her uncle, his dying? Her going to Elzora, the voodoo background? The intentions for her father, thinking of his death?

12.The different members of the family, at the party, their characters, their roles, personalities, place in the town?

13.Matty, her husband, her relationship with Louis, her husband killing Louis?

14.A quiet bayou yet the perennial passions, problems, families, having to face them, having to cope?

15.The audience sharing the experience of Eve, of the family, of the town? Empathy with Eve, shock at her experience, understanding with her?