American Honey is a story that meanders in search of something to ground it and never quite finds it.
I find myself coming back to this movie, partly because Fish Tank is one of my favourite films ever but also because of the feeling of hope I get when remember it back. Its a combination of the endless close ups of Sasha Lanes ‘Star’, where she feels equal parts trapped by this group of runaways and in awe of the family they have created, and freewheeling wheeling and dealing bravado of Shia able to come back from any bullshit he does.
I remember this feeling of anything is possible.
And then I rewatch it…..
The film is 2 and a half hours long and operates as a repeated series of episodic mini stories. Each beginning as they unload from the bus at the new spot and ending inexplicably back on the bus, Star having gone on an adventure she won’t talk to anyone about. It’s the same again and again, each episodic adventure is interesting, then it reverts to the status quo until the van stops and it begins again.
It’s a movie that’s satisfying in its parts but as a whole in one sitting, it’s really not. And while I can talk about cause and effect and but/therefore scene transitions and protagonist driving versus being driven (pun intended) but I think that is a disservice to Andrea Arnold. I think its a film we need to view at its core and not at its face value, Andrea Arnold made something and we, or me, now grapples with it…
Having just watched it for the 4th time I realised a constant running motifs of animals, of Star saving them, gently helping them to safety. It’s in almost every episodic story, if not she helps a child, and for me that unlocks part of when Andrea Arnold may be trying to do.
These crew of traveling sales people do anything in their power to get a sale, they steal, they do drugs they are the epitome of white trash. Star stands out as the beacon of hope and love, but she is stuck in the cycle of the capitalist hellscape of America. Every either eking out a living or hoarding and protecting what they have, and very little in between.
Star finds these gentle moments to show love to a helpless create before we recycle another day in search of a dollar. There’s sex in this film but its graphic and animalistic and never feels like love, but these moments do.
When asked what her dreams are for the future, Star is confused and reveals she has never been asked that or seemingly ever thought about it. She then asks Shia and he has the same response but later reveals a bag of ‘treasure’ he has been stealing to fund whatever future holds. He doesn’t have a plan either, just a bag of shiny trinkets, which grips out of hope that maybe just maybe it will buy the future he my one day dream of. Untill then he has shiny things.
The hope comes in cycles then crushes you every time. Yet the animals play a bigger role as the movie draws to a close. Near the end of the films, Star get paid $1000 top have sex with an oil worker and then gets yelled at by Shia, she sits alone in a field and a bear approaches her. It’s a moment that feels like an enter into magical realism, maybe bears are out here, I Dono, but I don’t think so. The bear approaches here, its mouth open millimetres from stars face then slow walks away. It’s moment like so many others that doesn’t seem to build from or too anything but its a moment.
A moment something that could hurt or take advantage of Star but doesn’t. It’s a moment where Star good deeds, come to fruition, a moment where in the presence of Bear she is safe. Cut to her saving a bee. And new girl being introduced to the crew. And a wash off positivity takes us to the end of the film.
In its final moments Star saves a turtle, and wade out into the water as ‘I am the saviour’ echos out into the night. She comes up for air and its silent, peaceful, then a firefly takes us into the credits. Star has found something resembling…
Love.
AS PER I should touch on some film craft. The 4:3 frame size is masterful, in creating a sense of entrapment amongst the massive landscape of the American Heartland. Often in close up or in POV shots we feel the intensity of Star search for something. Her POV is constantly obstructed and her face almost universally pained with distrust. Along with the framing is the often wider angle lenses, my guess a 21mm on a 35mm frame size, just a guess. We feel close. It’s not an uncommon technique but is unique in its relentlessness to this closeness. Walter Murch says ‘save the close up’ Andrea Arnold says ‘fuck you it’s all close up’. Pick a side comrades.
Speaking of editing, music is a huge part of the film and the travelling crew and effortlessly floats between diabetic and non diabetic but also with hard cuts in and out. Creating an unpredictable energy in the Audio track that mimics the crews unpredictable nature..
Moving forward close, intimate and character driven stories is where I want to evolve my personal film making towards. I will take on board the aspects of physical closeness, obstructed POV’s and energised soundtracks to help elevate my film making.
ALSO this is the best red carpet ever.