50 films: 1996 - Lone Star (John Sayles)

I loved the John Sayles films Matewan, and City of Hope, neither of which I've seen for probably 20 years (or more). In the early 90s (probably 92 or 93) I went with Hazel and some friends to a cinema in Richmond to see Sayles' Passion Fish - quite early in the film I started feeling uncomfortable with the subject matter - or rather with what my head was trying to predict the film was going to be about. This happens occasionally - I'm a wuss and live in perpetual fear of my wussiness. I left. Hazel left with me.

I haven't seen a Sayles film since, and haven't ever seen the end of Passion Fish. I don't think it was necessarily a decision to not see any of his films... more that it just happened that way.

At the weekend we sat down and watched the rather brilliant Lone Star. I had no idea what to expect (which was the problem I had with Passion Fish I guess), but was immediately sucked in by the atmosphere, by the music, by the photography, and mostly by a brilliantly told rumination on identity and history and borders. It shot right up amongst my favourite films (and there are very few (non-Jeunet) films from the last thirty years that are in that list).

The music was beautifully atmospheric - and while it seems wrong to pick out the white song it was nice to hear Lucinda Williams' The Night's Too Long playing on a bar jukebox

(play on YouTube)

Here's some Mexican/American music for balance

(play on YouTube)