SLING BLADE
US, 1996, 135 minutes, Colour.
Billy Bob Thornton, Lucas Black, Dwight Yoakam, John Ritter, J.T. Walsh, Natalie Canerday, James Hampton, Robert Duvall.
Directed by Billy Bob Thornton.
Sling Blade won the 1996 Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay and its author, and the film's director, Billy Bob Thornton was nominated for Best Actor and gave Geoffrey Rush a run for his money. Thornton' achievement in all areas is considerable. He has made a very moving film. He plays Karl, an inmate of a mental institution, interned for killing his mother when he was ten (because of a very strict moral code) but is about to be released. This film shows how such a character can come back into society and the effect of kindness and understanding. But it also shows the dangers when people and cruel and brutal.
Thornton, like Rush in Shine, gives Karl idiosyncratic mannerisms and ways of speaking so that he is a vivid presence throughout the film. He teams up with an introverted youngster (credibly played by Lucas Black) and finds work in a repair yard. There is great warmth in these sequences and a profound sense of what it is to be human, limitations or not.
But, the human condition is fraught with tragedy despite our hopes. There are excellent performances from John Ritter, J.T. Walsh, Robert Duvall. Strange but very moving.
1.The strong impact of the film? Its power? Humanity?
2.The title, the references, Karl and his explanation? The use of the sling blade?
3.The atmosphere of the southern US, accents, institutions, the town, the stores, garage, the countryside, homes? The feel of the south?
4.The atmospheric musical score, its tone, its being unobtrusive, its continually being present, mood?
5.The strength of the dialogue, Billy Bob Thornton and his writing, the dialogue being direct, his performance, adaptation of his play? Words, silences, interactions? Soliloquies? Blunt?
6.The framework in the institution, the introduction to Karl, his talking with Charles Bushman, Bushman and his attitude towards the institution, towards Karl, Karl simply listening? The reprisal at the end, Bushman talking incessantly, Karl not listening, saying that he did not want to meet him or listen to him again? Karl as his own person?
7.The issue of the interview, the young journalist? Jerry Woolridge and his work in the institution? Discussions with the journalist, the rules, setting it up? Karl agreeing, preparing to be free? The close-up during the interview? His voice, tone, his face, his walk, the stoop, his clothes?
8.Karl’s story as he recounted it in the monologue, the close-up? His relationship with his mother and father, finding his mother with her lover, seeing them, his description, straightforwardness, moral code, his decision, killing the lover, his mother and her reaction, killing her? The later story that he recounted to Frankie about the newborn child, his father giving it to him, his putting it in a box and burying it? His wanting the child to grow, missing it (and Frankie saying that he would have saved it)? Issues of right and wrong, his being trained to obey his parents? His later reading the bible and reassessing what had happened?
9.The long time in the institution, the sentence, the decision that he could be let out? That he would not kill again? Jerry Woolridge, his kindness, help, driving him, organising the job? Karl and the interview with Bill and Scooter? Their accepting him? His first attempt to buy the food, the French-fried potatoes, his liking them? At work, his skills, his being in the back shed, cleaning it up, Bill giving him the key, meals at the diner? His repairing the machines? Holding the job down? Gaining people’s respect?
10.The chance meeting with Frankie, the laundry, his offering to carry it, their becoming friends, talk? The bond between the two? Visiting the house on Frankie’s invitation, going to the store to meet his mother, to meet Vaughan? His talking about the institution, but not revealing what he had done? The meal at the house, Linda and her bringing Melinda along, going for the walk, the talk with her, her bringing the flowers to the garage? The blister?
11.Frankie’s story, his father, not having been killed by a train but shooting himself? His reliance on his mother, love for her? Doyle and his presence, his confiding in Karl, sharing with him, explaining the exhilaration of running while playing football, Karl and his overhearing the football talk, playing, running, passing the ball to Frankie for a goal? Karl and his listening to Doyle, Doyle’s drunken attack? His becoming a father figure for Frankie, listening to Doyle, ousting them, his decision about Doyle, his going to Vaughan and asking him to look after Frankie and his mother, his comment about same-sex relationships? Frankie and his mother, ensuring their safety, giving the books to Frankie, waiting, confronting Doyle, Doyle and his mouthing off, suddenly killing him, phoning the police, sitting and waiting? His farewell to Frankie, arm round him, love for him, going off to the institution?
12.Doyle and his type, Bully, alcoholic? His relationship with Linda, her accepting this, gradual reaction against him? His drinking, confronting people when drunk violent, apologising to Frankie? Linda’s view, Frankie’s view? Karl going to the room in the early morning with the hammer? His being ousted, listening to Doyle’s speech? His intention to dominate Frankie?
13.Linda, nice, the death of her husband, her situation with Frankie, work, friendship with Vaughan, Vaughan and the others at the meal? Making biscuits for Karl? His gratitude towards her?
14.Vaughan, the store, his amazement at Karl, coming to the meal, his friend, the discussion about his relationships and everybody knowing it, Karl and his speech about God not wanting Vaughan to go to Hell? Giving him a mission to look after Frankie and his mother?
15.Melinda, retarded, at the store, her explanation of herself, the meal, going for the walk with Karl, bringing the flowers to the garage, the comment on the blister?
16.The audience getting to know Karl, his sense of right and wrong, his clarity of thought, honesty and simplicity of expression? Seeing him as an avenging angel, defending the rights of the abused? His contentment in returning to the smaller world of the institution because the outside world was so big?
