Wise Blood (film)

Last updated
Wise Blood
Wise Blood poster.jpg
Original film poster
Directed by John Huston
Screenplay by Benedict Fitzgerald
Michael Fitzgerald
Based on Wise Blood
1952 novel
by Flannery O'Connor
Produced byKathy Fitzgerald
Michael Fitzgerald
Starring Brad Dourif
Ned Beatty
Harry Dean Stanton
Dan Shor
Amy Wright
Mary Nell Santacroce
Cinematography Gerry Fisher
Edited byRoberto Silvi
Music by Alex North
Distributed by New Line Cinema
Release dates
  • May 23, 1979 (1979-05-23)(Cannes)
  • October 24, 1979 (1979-10-24)(France)
  • December 12, 1979 (1979-12-12)(Los Angeles)
Running time
108 minutes
CountriesUnited States
West Germany
LanguageEnglish
Budget$2,000,000

Wise Blood is a 1979 black comedy drama film directed by John Huston and starring Brad Dourif, [1] Dan Shor, Amy Wright, Harry Dean Stanton, and Ned Beatty. It is based on the 1952 novel Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor. As a co-production with Germany the film was titled Der Ketzer or Die Weisheit des Blutes when released in Germany, and Le Malin when released in France.

Contents

The film follows the lives of a war veteran preacher and his associates. When he refuses to pose as a prophet for a promoter, the promoter convinces a replacement to copy the preacher's manner of dressing and style of preaching. The preacher eventually blinds himself and becomes unresponsive to his environment. His landlady has an unrequited love for him. She continues trying to revive him, even when he is seemingly dead.

Plot

Hazel "Haze" Motes is a 22-year-old veteran of an unspecified war and a preacher of the Church of Truth Without Christ, a religious organization of his own creation, which is against any belief in God, an afterlife, sin, or evil. The protagonist comes across various characters such as teenager Sabbath Lilly Hawks, who is madly in love with him; her grandfather Asa Hawks who is a conventional sidewalk preacher, and pretends to be blind; and a local boy, Enoch Emery, who finds a "new" Jesus at the local museum in the form of the tiny corpse of a shrunken South American Indian.

Hazel's relationship with Sabbath Lilly goes sour when she takes the tiny corpse that Enoch gave her to pass on to Hazel, and she poses with it in a Madonna and Child manner. Hazel throws the corpse against the wall, and its head out the window. Sabbath Lilly becomes very angry and berates Hazel.

Hoover Shoates is a promoter who wants to manage Hazel's career as a prophet. However, Hazel is not enthusiastic, so Shoates finds someone to dress like Hazel and preach in a somewhat similar way. Hazel finds this out, is enraged, and eventually pursues the man out of town and runs him over with his car.

Meanwhile, Enoch is fascinated with a local show involving a man in a gorilla suit; Enoch sneaks into the promoters' truck, steals the suit, and wanders around town terrorizing people while wearing the suit.

A sheriff stops Hazel on the road and sends Hazel's car rolling into a lake. After this, Hazel deliberately blinds himself with quicklime, a counterpoint to Asa's fake-blinding himself. Hazel's landlady must take care of him, and falls in love with him. However, she is shocked to find he has wound barbed wire around his torso, and has rocks in his shoes. [2]

After her proposal of marriage is spurned by Motes, and he leaves, the landlady calls the police and reports him as derelict in paying rent. The police find Motes lying in rubbish in a semi-conscious state. They return him to the house where he is placed on a bed in the landlady's custody. She promises him an easy life, in any part of the house he chooses, with her waiting on him full time.

The film ends with the landlady's failed attempts to get a response from the now-completely unresponsive Hazel, who may be dead.

Cast

Production

Wise Blood was filmed mostly in and around Macon, Georgia, near O'Connor's home Andalusia in Baldwin County, using many local residents as extras. The original music score was composed by Alex North.

New Line Cinema picked up U.S. distribution of the film after the screening at the Cannes Film Festival. [3] A shrunken head from Mercer University was used in the production and appears in the final film. [4] The head was repatriated by the university in 2019. [4]

The director of the film appears in two fantasy sequences as Hazel's fanatical preacher grandfather. [2]

Release

The film premiered out of competition at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival in May 1979. [5] The film was amended—in particular, the soundtrack—and was shown at the New York Film Festival in September and then released in France in October. [3] The film was released for an Academy Awards qualifying run for one week at the Laemmle Royal Theatre in Los Angeles in December before being released in the rest of the United States in February 1980. [3]

Home media

It was released on DVD by the Criterion Collection on May 12, 2009. [6]

Reception and legacy

At Cannes, the film received a mixed reception. [3] Following its screening at the New York Film Festival, critic Vincent Canby called the film "one of John Huston's most original, most stunning movies. It is so eccentric, so funny, so surprising, and so haunting that it is difficult to believe it is not the first film of some enfant terrible instead of the thirty-third feature by a man who is now in his seventies and whose career has had more highs and lows than a decade of weather maps." [2] Sam Jordison of The Guardian wrote in a retrospective review, "This adaptation is wonderful. It pulls off the rare trick of seeming faithful to the spirit and voice of the book, while being a work of art in its own right." [7]

Marjorie Baumgarten from The Austin Chronicle wrote, "Disturbing and grim in its portraits, Wise Blood is nevertheless marvelous storytelling and its performances are virtually divine." [8] Time Out described the film as "Tragically, desperately funny" and called it "John Huston's best film for many years". [9]

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Wise Blood holds a score of 88% based on 24 critic reviews, with an average rating of 7.4 out of 10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Director John Huston and author Flannery O'Connor prove a formidable creative match in Wise Blood, a gothic satire anchored by Brad Dourif's vinegary performance." [10] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 84 out of 100 based on 16 critic reviews, indicating "critical acclaim". [11]

In 2003, The New York Times placed the film on its Best 1000 Movies Ever list. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anjelica Huston</span> American actress (born 1951)

Anjelica Huston is an American actress, director and model known for often portraying eccentric and distinctive characters. She has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for three British Academy Film Awards and six Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2010, she was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

<i>The Rose</i> (film) 1979 film by Mark Rydell

The Rose is a 1979 American musical drama film directed by Mark Rydell, and starring Bette Midler, Alan Bates, Frederic Forrest, Harry Dean Stanton, Barry Primus, and David Keith. Loosely based on the life of Janis Joplin, the film follows a self-destructive rock star in the late 1960s, who struggles to cope with the pressures of her career and the demands of her ruthless business manager.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Dourif</span> American actor (born 1950)

Bradford Claude Dourif is an American semi-retired actor. He is best known for voicing Chucky in the Child's Play franchise (1988–present), portraying Gríma Wormtongue in The Lord of the Rings film series and his Oscar nominated role as Billy Bibbit in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975).

<i>Moulin Rouge</i> (1952 film) Film by John Huston

Moulin Rouge is a 1952 British historical romantic drama film directed by John Huston from a screenplay he co-wrote with Anthony Veiller, based on the 1950 novel of the same name by Pierre La Mure, and produced by John and James Woolf. The film follows artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 19th-century Paris's bohemian subculture in and around the Moulin Rouge, a burlesque palace. The film was screened at the 14th Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Silver Lion.

<i>The Grifters</i> (film) 1990 film by Stephen Frears

The Grifters is a 1990 American neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Stephen Frears, produced by Martin Scorsese, and starring John Cusack, Anjelica Huston, and Annette Bening. The screenplay was written by Donald E. Westlake, based on Jim Thompson's 1963 novel of the same name. The film won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Film and was declared one of the Top 10 films of 1990 by The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures.

<i>Wise Blood</i> 1952 novel by Flannery OConnor

Wise Blood is the first novel by American author Flannery O'Connor, published in 1952. The novel was assembled from disparate stories first published in Mademoiselle, The Sewanee Review and Partisan Review. The first chapter is an expanded version of a story from her Master's thesis, "The Train", and other chapters are reworked versions of "The Peeler," "The Heart of the Park" and "Enoch and the Gorilla". The novel concerns a returning World War II veteran who, haunted by a life-long crisis of faith, resolves to form an anti-religious ministry in an eccentric, fictionalized city in the Southern United States after finding his family homestead abandoned without a trace.

<i>Woman in the Dunes</i> 1964 Japanese film by Hiroshi Teshigahara

Woman in the Dunes or Woman of the Dunes is a 1964 Japanese New Wave avant-garde psychological thriller film directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara and starring Eiji Okada, Kyōko Kishida, and Kōji Mitsui. It received widespread critical acclaim and was nominated for two Academy Awards. The screenplay for the film was adapted by Kōbō Abe from his 1962 novel of the same name. The film is now considered to be Teshigahara's masterpiece, one of the best movies of 1964, of the 1960s and of the 20th century, as well as one of the best Japanese films of all time.

<i>Purple Noon</i> 1960 film by René Clément

Purple Noon is a 1960 crime thriller film starring Alain Delon, alongside Marie Laforêt and Maurice Ronet; Romy Schneider, Delon's girlfriend at the time, makes a brief cameo appearance in the film. The film follows Tom Ripley, a young American sent to Italy to convince wealthy playboy Philippe Greenleaf to return home. As Tom becomes obsessed with Philippe's luxurious lifestyle, he devises a plan that will allow him to take over Philippe's life.

<i>Breaking Glass</i> (film) 1980 film by Brian Gibson

Breaking Glass is a 1980 British film starring Hazel O'Connor, Phil Daniels and Jonathan Pryce. It was co-produced by Dodi Fayed and written and directed by Brian Gibson, his feature film debut.

<i>Umberto D.</i> 1952 Italian film by Vittorio De Sica

Umberto D. is a 1952 Italian neorealist film directed by Vittorio De Sica. Most of the actors were non-professional, including Carlo Battisti who plays the title role of Umberto Domenico Ferrari, a poor elderly man in Rome who is desperately trying to keep his rented room. His landlady is evicting him and his only true friends, the housemaid and his dog Flike are of no help.

<i>The Prizefighter and the Lady</i> 1933 film by Howard Hawks, W. S. Van Dyke

The Prizefighter and the Lady is a 1933 pre-Code Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer romance film starring Myrna Loy and the professional boxers Max Baer, Primo Carnera, and Jack Dempsey. The film was adapted for the screen by John Lee Mahin and John Meehan from a story by Frances Marion. Marion was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Story.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Shor</span> American actor, director and writer

Daniel Shor is an American actor, director, writer, and acting teacher with a career spanning over 40 years. His most recognized roles include Enoch Emery in John Huston's Wise Blood (1979), Pete Brady in Strange Behavior (1981), Ram in Tron (1982), and Billy the Kid in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marco Bellocchio</span> Italian film director, screenwriter and actor

Marco Bellocchio is an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor.

<i>Blind Chance</i> 1987 Polish film

Blind Chance is a Polish film written and directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski and starring Bogusław Linda. The film presents three separate storylines, told in succession, about a man running after a train and how such an ordinary incident could influence the rest of the man's life. Originally completed in 1981, Blind Chance was suppressed by the Polish authorities for several years until its delayed release in Poland on 10 January 1987 in a censored form.

<i>A Taste of Honey</i> (film) 1961 British film by Tony Richardson

A Taste of Honey is a 1961 British New Wave drama film directed by Tony Richardson and starring Rita Tushingham, Dora Bryan, Robert Stephens and Murray Melvin. It is an adaptation of the 1958 play of the same name by Shelagh Delaney. Delaney wrote the screenplay with Richardson, who had directed the original Broadway production of the play in 1960. As with the play, the film is an exemplar of a social realist genre of British media known as kitchen sink realism.

"The Peeler" is a short story by the American author Flannery O'Connor. It was first published in Partisan Review in 1949. It later appeared in the 1971 collection The Complete Stories. It was eventually incorporated into her novel, Wise Blood.

<i>Smithereens</i> (film) 1982 American drama film

Smithereens is a 1982 American drama film directed by Susan Seidelman and starring Susan Berman, Brad Rijn, and Richard Hell. The film follows a narcissistic, young woman from New Jersey who comes to New York City to join the waning punk subculture, only to find that she's gravitated towards Los Angeles; in order to pay her way across country, she engages in a number of parasitic relationships, shifting her allegiances to new "friends" in an ongoing effort to ultimately endear herself to someone who will finance her desired lifestyle.

The Heart of the Park is a short story written by Flannery O'Connor.

<i>Blood Father</i> 2016 French film

Blood Father is a 2016 English-language French action crime thriller film directed by Jean-François Richet, written by Peter Craig based on his novel of the same name, and starring Mel Gibson, Erin Moriarty, Diego Luna, Michael Parks, and William H. Macy. The film had its world premiere at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival on 21 May 2016 and was released on 12 August 2016 by Lionsgate Premiere.

<i>Thirst Street</i> 2017 film directed by Nathan Silver

Thirst Street is a 2017 black comedy film directed by American filmmaker Nathan Silver, from a screenplay by Silver and C. Mason Wells. Co-produced by American and French companies, and featuring American and French actors, it is set in Paris. It stars Lindsay Burdge, Damien Bonnard, Esther Garrel, Lola Bessis, Jacques Nolot, Françoise Lebrun, Cindy Silver, Valerie Laury, and Anjelica Huston. The film is about an American woman who falls in love with a French man after a one-night stand. She decides to doggedly pursue him despite his lack of interest. It includes portions in both English and French.

References

  1. Criterion Collection
  2. 1 2 3 Canby, Vincent (29 September 1979). "Screen: 'Wise Blood,' Huston's 33d Feature:The Cast". The New York Times . Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "New Line Sets Oscar Run For 'Wise Blood' After Pickup For U.S.". Variety . November 21, 1979. p. 3.
  4. 1 2 Byron, Craig D.; Kiefer, Adam M.; Thomas, Joanna; Patel, Sagar; Jenkins, Amy; Fratino, Anthony L.; Anderson, Todd (2021). "The authentication and repatriation of a ceremonial tsantsa to its country of origin (Ecuador)". Heritage Science. 9. doi: 10.1186/s40494-021-00518-z . S2CID   234351490.
  5. "Festival de Cannes: Wise Blood". Cannes Festival website. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  6. "Wise Blood: A Matter of Life and Death". Criterion Collection . Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  7. Jordison, Sam (21 December 2012). "Reading group: John Huston's Wise Blood is an unlikely cinematic feat". The Guardian . Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  8. Baumgarten, Marjorie (9 August 2000). "Wise Blood". The Austin Chronicle . Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  9. "Wise Blood". Time Out . Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  10. Wise Blood, Rotten Tomatoes
  11. Wise Blood at Metacritic OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  12. The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made. The New York Times via Internet Archive. Published April 29, 2003. Retrieved June 12, 2008.