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THE GHOSTS OF EMPIRE PRAIRIE – The SLIFF 2013 Review
Review by Dane Marti
Missouri: I love the state I was born in / I hate the state I was born in. Like many environments around the world, even places that seem tranquil or picturesque on the exterior can hide places, people and situations far from pleasant and uplifting. If viewers are clamoring for a picture postcard view of Missouri, please look elsewhere. ‘Ghosts of the Empire Prairie’ doesn’t shy away from some of the nastier, more disturbing aspects of the state and its rural folks. The filmmaker, Blake Eckard has a formidable track record in creating stories shot on very small budgets. However, not having a plethora of money to play around with does not always make for a superb film, of course.
Director, Eckard knows how to bring forth essential elements within the story which effectively highlight what’s important.
The film’s main character, Lonnie Enright, returns to his childhood town of Empire Prairie after a number of years drifting. He tells people he was a rodeo rider. What he actually did while moving around the country looking for work is left open to the viewer’s imagination. Back in town: His brother, Ted (Frank Mosley becomes his character!), never as popular with woman as his charismatic, but slightly demented brother, definitely has his hands full taking care of their father, an intense, alcoholic and silent man slowly drifting into blindness.
Lonnie once again hooks up with the local barmaid, Dawn. Near the end of the movie, I was touched by the actress’s ability to convey a very natural, maternal realism to the story. This isn’t a Disney family filled with pastel love and boundless enthusiasm for kindness and hugging. Nope. This family always seems to be microseconds away from catastrophically exploding.
The film’s opening narration didn’t work for me and sounded forced and heavy-handed. I would have simply showed the well-composed images of farm equipment, landscapes and old buildings. As the movie moves on, Ryan Harper Gray’s portrayal of Lonnie improved in a big way. Once he began interacting within the story, dealing with conflicts and even agonizingly looking off into space, his acting improved by leaps and bounds. All the acting in this movie is impressive, given the low budget. Throughout the film, Lonnie seems like a time bomb, and of course, this makes many women find him irresistible.
The film’s sound quality was pretty weak, I must admit.
Potent elements of the movie are its stark compositions of old buildings, dimly lit interiors, dilapidated bars and expansive prairies. This is what impressed me the most.
The tale itself moves at a slow pace that would have annoyed the hell out of me in other films, but seems to fit the ennui, sadness and depression inherent in the quiet, often-tormented lives of these rural folks.
This reviewer was never completely enthralled with the main character (I guess I wasn’t supposed to think of him as a sterling paragon of virtue), but I must admit that through well-done acting and direction, I empathized with the problems, drinking, trials and tribulations inherent within his character–as well as the entire tale. And I could see the humanity within Lonnie as well. Watching his performance, the way the character sometimes blankly stared into existential space, I couldn’t help being reminded of Jack Nicholson in the early seventies film, ‘Five Easy Pieces.’ Ryan Harper Gray gives a well-modulated performance. I also found the old father to be quietly menacing. To a large extent, the film’s slow pacing and low budget help build a realistic atmosphere. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t despise the main character, or the other co-dependent family members and friends. I know people like these. Attention must be given to the lives and trouble that many rural, poor folks face! It’s a universal subject, though. As with characters/people inhabiting a John Cassevetes film, people from all walks of life have had to wrestle with similar problems: confusion, half-buried horrible memories, moments of anger and lust. This is an interesting, thought-provoking film with good acting and poignant camera angles that haunt the viewer long after watching it.
GHOSTS OF THE EMPIRE PRAIRIE screens Sunday, Nov 24th at 1:15pm at The Tivoli Theater as part of the St. Louis International Film Festival
For ticket information, visit Cinema St. Louis’ site HERE
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