Reviews

Harmony Korine returns to his classically-rough style of film making, in this peculiar film centered around four elderly people who roam the streets. Their acts consist of vandalism, destruction of objects, and, well, quite literally humping trash - or trees, for that matter.

Trash Humpers has no real plot to it. We simply watch these people do the most obscure things, in a mock-doc found footage kinda style. I'm not going to delve into any of the 'story' details because there is really nothing to say. It's just as I described above, really - extremely odd.

In terms of style, Korine has gone back to his roots of Gummo and Julien Donkey-Boy, by using very low quality cameras, grainy visuals, some out of focus moments, and freehand camera movements. Things just happen, and the camera just looks on. What is interesting in this film is that Korine decides to go all out with the hand-held VHS camera work, and almost makes it a character in itself. We are aware that one of the characters is in control of the camera, which is why I would refer to it as 'found footage'. What we gain from this is a knowledge that the characters are in control, and thus, they are the ones that determine what we see, and what we do not see. It not only gives us more of an insight into their characters, but it promotes a very natural and realistic feeling in the film. It also gives the audience a feeling of being right there with the characters. We are, for lack of s better word, trapped with these characters for the entire 74 minute run-time. We see what they see, or watch they want us to see. We are basically forced to watch what they do, how they do it, but we are left to figure out 'why?'

Which leads into my next point, or question. Why? Why are these characters doing this? I'd like to think I have some sort of idea of what the film is trying to do. However, it is the age old question of 'how far does the film need to go in order to make its point?' Does this film really need to show us the amount of weird acts it does, just to clarify it's ideas? You can ask this for many films: did A Serbian Film really need to show 'newborn porn' in order to get the point across? Did Salo really need to show people eating poop to get its point across? I guess that's left for us to decide, but for me, I can only get so much out of watching people do random weird acts before wondering where we are actually going with it.

To me, this film is a look at forgotten people. The ignored underbelly of America, which Korine loves studying. What I took from this film was a sense of freedom. People letting go. Returning to their childlike ways, with a lot more debaucheries, of course. A group of old people with pretty much nothing to live for, they could be sad and depressed. However, they choose not to do so. They choose to be happy, to be free, to let go. Rather that whither away, they get up and out into the world. They simply enjoy themselves. I'm not one to judge, so if enjoyment to them is humping a plastic bin, then so be it. The point is that they are enjoying what they have, and living freely, without a care in the world. Albeit slightly demented. The humping of the trash could quite literally show their love and affection for what they have, and where they live. They are bottom of the pile. The opposite of the American dream, but they choose to accept it and embrace it. I feel like this is amplified by Korine's characters speech towards the end. Maybe I'm just babbling, maybe the emperor has no clothes, but I guess Korine has left that for us to decide.

Despite looking into this film, and picking out some meaning here and there, I definitely think this is Korine's weakest work. For me, despite being technically intriguing, and having interesting characters, the film still lacks that total conviction for me. I feel like if you want a meaning, you really have to explore it and go digging. I don't mind that, but my point is that this film doesn't initially have a massive amount to it. For some there will be meaning to pick out, and aspects to respect, but at the end of the day this film is just old people humping trash and carrying out debaucheries. There doesn't appear to be anything obvious to it, and do they really need to show us acts THIS obscure. Does the film really need to be this strange, random and vulgar just to get its point across? And how far can we decipher this film before there is nothing left to look into, yet we are still watching the same acts. We can only get so much from seeing the same acts over and over. Still, I'd like to think I got something. And artistically, this film is vastly unique and different to anything you'll ever see. Love it or hate it, I can confirm that these characters and their acts will linger in your mind.

As a fan of Korine's work that I have viewed so far (Gummo, Spring Breakers), I have been looking forward to viewing JDB for quite some time now. Finding a copy of the film was the toughest part, but I eventually did come across one, and the viewing certainly did live up to expectation.

Julien Donkey-Boy is Harmony Korine's second feature film, and follows the lives of a dysfunctional family. The father (Werner Herzog) is mean, brutish, tough, and creepy. He is hard on his children; a pregnant girl (Chloe Sevigny), a wannabe wrestler son (Evan Neumann) and a schizophrenic son, Julien. The film essentially has no real plot. Instead, we follow this family around for a few weeks or so. Time feels irrelevant. We see the family get up to many things. The father is constantly pushing his wrestling son to be tough, and doesn't appear to have a care for Julien, who clearly needs love and kindness around him. Various events happen. As I said, it is hardly plot driven. More so just an insight into their vastly interesting and obscure lives.

What connected with me the most with this film was the realism. JDB is easily one of the most real, honest, most human films I have ever seen, and I would also say that for Korine's other films. What Korine does so incredibly well in his work is creating a world. The film genuinely feels like a documentary. With the combination of the filming style, to the characters, to the events, to the performances - this film genuinely feels like real life. Quite an obscure and uncomfortable atmosphere is felt, and it comes very naturally. The film feels as though Korine has got his old video camera out and filmed this random family for days. We maybe don't know people like this personally, but we know there are people exactly like this out there in the world. We are taken on a journey by the filmmaker and delve into these peoples lifestyle for a period of time, and it is utterly fascinating. The approach to the film is in no way insulting or degrading these people, it is an honest and fair depiction of their lifestyle. That is something that I cannot praise Korine enough for. He looks at these people with such care and emotion and honesty, that we connect with them as human beings. We do not look down upon them, with walk along side them and become part of their lifestyle for the duration of the film. As we watch disabled people enjoy themselves, we get a feeling of real happiness within us. A real humanity. This film oozes with realness. It's hard to believe it's fiction.

As I mentioned, this is helped massively by two things: the visuals and the acting. The visual style of this film is what will divide viewers. With extremely rough, grainy, pixelated, blurry visuals, some may watch it and feel as though it is headache inducing. For me, however, this visual style that Korine loves so much simply adds to the films realism. It feels as though this is home footage. As if there is actually someone down there with these people, filming them with an old video camera. Again, as I said, it feels like a documentary. As if I am watching real people, real lives, real events. And there is something emotionally engaging about that. The camera moves so naturally, as if it were handled by someone who was sitting right there with these people. It doesn't feel like a film, the camera doesn't flow smoothly like a Kubrick film. It isn't mapped out like a PTA long take. It just moves and observes, as if by freehand. Once again, adding to the realistic feeling of this film. If anything, the visual style may be a bit too much at times.

The performances are out of this world. Herzog, believe it or not, is outstanding and infuriating, as the father. Sevigny is enchanting and likable and caring as the sister. But the absolute stand out (and I might go as far as to say one of the best performances I've ever seen) is Ewen Bremner as Julien. Whilst watching this film I genuinely believed that this actor had all of the disabilities that the character had. His line (actually I think it was improvised) delivery, speech, actions were so believable that I didn't know if it was an act or not. Absolutely astounding.

So, I've rambled about this film. I've been rather repetitive, but I don't know what else to say? This film is genuinely one of the realest film experiences I've ever had. The study of these peoples lives is simply fascinating, and I adored this film. It is honest, true, raw, real, heartfelt, sympathetic, heartbreaking. The film delved into these people's lives with such confidence and honesty, and the final product was an incredibly well crafted study of human life. We don't need to follow a complex plot, we just look at these peoples lives, and watch on as they go about their everyday lives. To them it is normality, to us it is obscure, but ultimately fascinating. I don't think I've ever experienced a film quite as down to earth and as real as this one, and I may never again? Honestly? I'm shocked.

9.5/10