> REVIEW
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Red White & Blue (2010)
Sex, love and violence…
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By Helen Adkins | September 2011
Trinty ©
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Simon Rumley
When Simon Rumley’s last feature The Living and the Dead (2006) earned a reputation for being as ‘horrific as a horror film’ without actually being one, it inspired the British filmmaker. With his next script he decided he would see how much further he could push horror elements within, essentially, a romantic drama.
The result is Red White and Blue, a brutal yet, at its heart, touching tale of love and connection between characters, blindly searching for salvation and almost finding it before their lives go horribly wrong.
Essentially in two parts, the first half of the film follows hard-nosed Erica (Amanda Fuller), who trawls through the gritty bars and nightlife of Austin, Texas picking up anyone who’ll have her for a night of no-ties sex. Anyone will do it seems, from a balding middle-aged businessman to three members of a struggling rock band, that includes Franki (Marc Senter).
As she racks up the numbers she always makes it clear; she’ll never sleep with the same man twice, she doesn’t want to date and she doesn’t want friends. The only sign that these, often gruesome conquests, mean more to her than she says is a scrapbook she keeps of their photographs. Other clues that she longs for more than this brutal existence are apparent in her affection for children and phone calls to her estranged mother.
When her life takes a downward turn – losing her job and potentially her home –in walks Nate (the excellent Noah Taylor), a scrawny, self-confessed sadist, with a shady military background and fond memories of torturing small animals as a child. Seeing a kindred spirit in Erica, he offers her help, forgives her when she throws it back in his face, gets her a job anyway, and finally saves her from a rapist. Erica warms. They click.
At the midpoint of the film you could conceivably expect to follow the twist and turns of an ill-fated love affair. But instead, Rumley abruptly switches the attention to wannabe rock star Franki. Leaving Erica and Nate behind we now follow his life as he gives blood for his cancer-stricken mother, decides whether to tour with his band and attempts to get back on with his on/off girlfriend.
This switch disorientates at first, until it becomes clear that Franki’s life is inextricably linked to what went on before. It’s only a matter of time before the inevitable consequences of a single event hurtle towards a terrifying finale.
The last act of the film is, indeed, horrific and yet Rumley’s direction remains restrained and all the more powerful for it, often forcing the viewer’s imagination to fester over what can’t be seen. The expert editing coupled with the use of lilting piano music over some of the most harrowing scenes only adds to the psychological torture; reminiscent of Haneke’s Funny Games (1997).
But this is no slasher flick. Rumley, has cleverly and intelligently assembled his narrative. When characters motives and actions are flipped, the viewer is left with a deeply unsettling view of the world, challenging our take on life. Here, first impressions are wrong, things are not what they seem, character’s motives are up for debate and moral posturing left to one side.
For horror fans, Red White and Blue certainly delivers, but the violence never feels forced or gratuitous. The film delves deep into mindset of its characters and raises challenging issues relating to our approaches to sex, empathy and understanding of consequence and motive.
Violence reigns and yet the love story behind it still survives, fragile, tragic and beautiful.
Script…………………………………………………………………………………………….
Rumley’s script holds back nicely on the dialogue, whilst developing its characters authentically and with care and skill. 3
Direction………………………………………………………………………………………..
Direction is restrained, treading a fine line between genres but never losing focus.
3
Verdict…………………………………………………………………………………………..
A powerful film that blurs the boundaries between horror and drama with
intelligence and heart. Seek it out. 4
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