It's very easy to be entranced by the 13 year old Joseph Boudreaux whose adventures in this supposed docudrama are fun to watch even if it's not a real view of Cajun life. He's friendly with a group of workers on an oil rig, anxious to show them the big fish he has caught and later on very proud of the fact that he's gotten a hold of the alligator who took the life of his pet raccoon. You see him playing with the cute critter he keeps on a string, and it's pretty obvious that the raccoon trusts him. That makes it sad when he announces to the oil rig workers that the alligator got his pet, but when he passes by with the corpse of the giant gator, he pats himself on the chest, mighty proud of what he's accomplished, and probably already out in search of more animal companionship. Just stay away from the many snakes and gators in the swamp!
While it's sad that he doesn't have any playmates of his own age, it's enduring to see him comfortable with adults much older than himself, curious over what they're doing and welcomed aboard like the rig mascot. For me, young Boudreaux was the whole film, his innocent charm showing his efforts to deal with a hard life, and yet find some fun in a difficult world, hiding from his grandfather who agreed to let the oil rig come in. Maybe not the truth about the situation going on here, but in spite of a cheap photographic process, documentary director Robert Flaherty does capture some interesting visuals, and at least it opened up my curiosity to finding out elements of this type of lifestyle I previously had no knowledge of.
While it's sad that he doesn't have any playmates of his own age, it's enduring to see him comfortable with adults much older than himself, curious over what they're doing and welcomed aboard like the rig mascot. For me, young Boudreaux was the whole film, his innocent charm showing his efforts to deal with a hard life, and yet find some fun in a difficult world, hiding from his grandfather who agreed to let the oil rig come in. Maybe not the truth about the situation going on here, but in spite of a cheap photographic process, documentary director Robert Flaherty does capture some interesting visuals, and at least it opened up my curiosity to finding out elements of this type of lifestyle I previously had no knowledge of.