At the recommendation of Tracy Rector of Longhouse Media, tonight I went to a screening of Barking Water. I was unsure what to expect of this film but quite impressed. Barking Water follows Irene (Casey Camp-Horinek) and Frankie (Richard Ray Whitman) on a road trip through Oklahoma to Frankie's home after breaking him out of the hospital. Frankie is terminally ill and his relationship with his true love Irene is strained after a falling out in earlier times, though she has come back as a support as he is reaching the end of his days. Along their journey they make several stops to the people Frankie wants to see before he goes away and talk about what lead them apart.
There were quite a few aspects of this film that I appreciated greatly. The love story between Irene and Frankie was not idyllic and thus seemed very natural, as well as the whole plot line. The portrayal of Native Americans was natural as well. The characters were multidimensional and didn't show any traces of the noble or blood-thirsty savage. It was set in modern times and showed that Native Americans are more than historical relics and reenactors (though other media may make you think otherwise) Barking Water did not feel like a "Native American" film, it just felt like a film. Another great piece of this film was the acting. Richard Ray Whitman made a nice performance and Casey Camp-Horinek really carried the film for me emotionally.
Overall I felt that this film was a compelling drama that I would recommend any of you to watch. To sum it up in my father's words after viewing it "It was refreshing to see something different, so many movies now are just crap." So go enjoy something different!
Image from Paste Magazine
Trailer Courtesy of Youtube
For More Information Visit: http://www.barkingwaterfilm.com
Kala, thanks for writing about Barking Water. My partner and I went and saw it and we both enjoyed it. I loved the simplicity of the movie itself and how the story was built around these two people (Frankie and Irene) and their car. I also liked how it would flashback to their past and bring us up to date quickly with pieces of their memories. I too would recommend that folks go see this film and also listen to the sound track. It will be a must have in my house!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed the film - I wish I had been able to go! This is a nice review. I'd like to see you develop the ideas a bit more. You mention course concepts very briefly here: "The characters were multidimensional and didn't show any traces of the noble or blood-thirsty savage. It was set in modern times and showed that Native Americans are more than historical relics and reenactors..." This could have been explored more fully with some examples and comparisons to other movies about Native Americans.
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