“Mississippi Damned” Puts a Kick in Life
The importance of family: Sammy, his mother, and sister
“Coming out of Sundance is probably one of the greatest films ever,” a common line you hear often enough. But rare is a film heard of picked up out of Slamdance. In this case, I am recommending that any film company that wants a great film should be checking out Mississippi Damned. Based on director Tina Mabry’s young life story, the family and friends followed have difficulties, including deaths and murders, rapes, and general fights as well as parties. The film also explores sexual differences including connecting with a young lesbian couple, and adultery, as well as boyfriends and girlfriends, and wives and their husbands.
In many scenes, the adult figure shown is fairly abusive towards the children, and even their wives. The first most shocking scene begins with Sammy stealing money from his father’s wallet to buy food. He had woken up earlier only to find no food in the house, and so he takes the money to the store, and when he comes home, his father strikes him down, and yells at him for stealing money, then forces him to pick up the food on the floor. When I saw the father hit his son, I was in such shock, I felt my jaw drop. I have never been in that kind of a situation, nor known anyone in it. Several instances in the film were like this.
The film explores from one tragedy to the next, as the children grow up into their older selves, graduate from school and attempt to follow their dreams as far as they can take them. Mothers go to jail, fathers are forced to leave homes, and yet the family and friends of family members take care of eachother. The main theme in the movie is that no matter what happens, or how bad life can be at one instance, you can work hard and get out of it, even when the odds are against you. Family proves to be the most necessary crutch in hard times.
Over all, the film was extremely well displayed, and well put together. It was clear in the Q&A section, when most the entire cast showed up, as well as all producers, editors and directors, that the film meant a great deal to all of them. In turn, it has become important to me as well. The story itself was close to the director’s heart, as the storyline came from her childhood and friend’s experiences. It was a shocking film about life as we don’t know it, and Hollywood never really shows us about, and I enjoyed every minute I was wrapped up in it. It is far from being accused of being mainstream, and touching to both the heart and soul.
Tags: great films, Lizzy Kirkham, Mississippi Damned, slamdance, Tina Mabry
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:20 am
Just one minor issue: I believe that the man whose wallet Sammy steals from is not his father but his mother’s occasional boyfriend - and I’m pretty sure that the woman in the picture is not his mother but his aunt, so that the girl in the picture is his cousin? (I agree with you that the film was powerful — brilliantly shot and edited and with very strong performances, but I thought that there might have been too many characters and too many subplots. It got a bit confusing at times to sort out who was who and what their relationships to each other were.)
January 23rd, 2009 at 5:38 pm
I was definitely confused with the characters, but the plot itself is what shocked me so much.