my own private idaho.
"I haven't had those experiences. They come
from the imagination, which is sometimes more truthful than a
documentary... Idaho uses life experiences in a metaphorical way." --
Gus Van Sant
My Own Private Idaho is a difficult film, both to watch and to describe. Written (originally two different screenplays) and directed by Van Sant, it is perhaps the most personal of his films. Essentially, the film is a road movie focusing on two homosexual drifters, Scott and Mike, with about 30 minutes of Shakespeare's Henry IV, part 1 thrown in for good measure. The main character Scott, intensely portrayed by River Phoenix, is a narcoleptic male hustler. Reeves also plays a hustler, but unlike his counterparts on the street, he stands to inherit an awful lot of money on his 21st birthday. The plot revolves around this axis, but a description of what ensues would take much too long, and probably wouldn't make much sense anyway, unless you've seen the film.
If you're put off by the description of this movie, don't pass it over based on its plot. Sure, the plot is quirky at times, and disturbing at others, but underneath it all lies the direction and talent of Gus Van Sant. The opening ten minutes is one of my favorite cinematic scenes of all time, and must be seen rather than read about. Suffice to say that the cinematography, surreal music, Phoenix's brilliant performance, and Van Sant's amazing talent combine to transform this film into something quite unique and intriguing...though it slows down in the middle, it picks up again, and is not to be missed if you're a fan of independent film.
"I have really strong feelings about the search for home and mother. I thought it was very, very touching.
You just knew that someone who could come up with this premise would have something to back it with in
terms of knowledge and experience. Which Gus has." -- River Phoenix
links.
myownprivateidaho.com
My Own Private Idaho - the script
A great review from the Washington Post
back to the Gus van Sant home page
back to the Wonderful World of Film
