DOWN IN THE VALLEY

US, 2005, 113 minutes, Colour.
Edward Norton, Evan Rachel Wood, David Morse, Rory Culkin, Bruce Dern, John Diehl, Geoffrey Lewis, Elizabeth Pena.
Directed by David Jacobsen.

There is a lot to like in this rather long and sometimes melodramatic picture of growing up in the San Fernando Valley. It is a struggle for many families. Wade is trying, not too successfully, to bring up his precocious adolescent daughter Tobe (short for October) and shy son Lonnie. Into their lives comes a genial cowboy. Tobe falls in love with him. He brings Lonnie out of himself, especially with shooting lessons. He does not impress Wade and trouble soon looms.

This is also a gun culture film. There are plenty of guns and, here, they lead to more violence than we would have expected. There is also madness, a lot of it laid at the door of poor parenting and rebellion.

Edward Norton exerts a great deal of charm as Harlan, the alleged ranch-hand from South Dakota. This makes his quixotic behaviour more credible and, ultimately, alarming. He becomes the western hero for the girl and the boy – and they are certainly looking for a hero. Evan Rachel Wood (Thirteen) is a more rounded character than the usual teenager. Rory Culkin gives us another of his winsome and winning quiet kids. David Morse, always reliable, is Wade.

Of course, the would be cowboy and his attitudes and pursuits (right up to a shootout) are metaphors for the morally wild west of the Valley, the need for the lawman, the hero and justice. It is just that Harlan, despite his efforts, is not the real thing.

1.The impact of the film? Independent film-making? The tradition of American westerns? Of American films using western motifs? The director, life in the San Fernando Valley, growing up there? California, its history? As the culmination of the drive west? The oppressive California life and its needing a hero?

2.The valley, the geography, the look, the freeways and the traffic, the traffic lights, planes going over, the streets, the shops and motels, homes? The surrounding mountains and ridges and the developments? An authentic landscape? As a character for the film?

3.The Peter Salet score, the songs, the lyrics?

4.The introduction to Harlan, his appearance, like a cowboy, his clothes, his hat, his manner, his language, ‘Sir’ and ‘Holy smoke’? The garage? His going to the beach? His telling the story about the West? Swimming, the kiss, the sexual encounter? Taking Tobe riding? The encounter with the men? Taking him shooting? Tobe’s reaction, his shooting – and wounding ? Wade and his threats? The motel, the shooting in the motel, his being ousted? His wandering, returning, with the gun, the further shooting? Shooting himself to persuade Lonnie that his father had attacked him? Taking Lonnie and running away, into the mountains? The rabbit? The pursuit? Shooting Charlie? Finding the movie set, enjoying it, recreating the western life? The final shoot-out? The horse leaning against the door? Lonnie going home? Death? His having broken into his own home and looked at the photos – and the revelation of who he really was, a Valley Boy? The portrait of this young man, the descent into mental instability and its consequences?

5.The presentation of the family, few explanations of their background? Wade, his age, work, a warder(*?), his partner? Tough? Hard with his children? His concern about Tobe, her idleness, his(*?) permissiveness? Charlie’s comment? Issues of sex? Allowing her to go out? His taking a stand, confronting his children, the treatment of Tobe and Lonnie? His urging strength – the discussion of the Bible, the meek inheriting the earth – and his denying it, asking where Lonnie found it? The irony of the gospels? His talking about gumption? The confrontations Harlan? Tobe being shot, taking her to the hospital? The build-up to the pursuit, the shoot-outs, his partnering with Sheridan? The final confrontation and death?

6.Tobe, the portrait of the young teenager, bored in the Valley, going to the beach, wanting to be flirtatious? Letting Lonnie come out with her, walking to the freeway, looking over the bridge at the cars? Her care for Lonnie? The attraction towards Harlan, at the beach, discussions? Her decision to go to the motel? The sexual encounter, the aftermath? Harlan inviting her to go riding? The horse, Charlie? The clashes with Wade? Her wanting to leave? The rain, the doughnut? Her becoming wary about Harlan? Her being shot – and going to hospital?

7.Lonnie, his age, the lonely young boy, his reading? The accident? At home, monosyllabic? Going out with Tobe, looking at the traffic over the bridge? Discussions with his father – especially about the meek inheriting the earth? His interest in Harlan? Showing Harlan his father’s guns? The image of the gunfighter? His believing Harlan? The rabbit and the horse in the mountains? His staying put? The end, Harlan’s death and his tears?

8.The symbolism of the family scattering Harlan’s ashes – how realistic?

9.The Jewish background, Harlan and his letters to Joe, and the evocation of Badlands and other westerns? His practising his gunfighting – and the echoes of Taxi Driver? His being a fantasist?

10.Charlie, the horses, the confrontation with Harlan and Tobe? His not believing him? His helping in the pursuit of Harlan? The shoot-out?

11.Sheridan, his working with Wade? In the pursuit?

12.Issues of teenagers, the young teenager being infatuated with the fantasy adult? The lonely young man?

13.The western, the traditions, California, Harlan not being a real cowboy? His trying to make the parallels?

14.The contemporary themes of America, society, dysfunctional, fantasies, the traditions, trying to cope? The culture of guns, the culture of violence?