RUDE
A film review by T. Robin Sutherland
Copyright 1995 T. Robin Sutherland
Despite the local nature of this film (set in the projects of Toronto's Regent Park), I can only describe RUDE as an exotic film. It is overwhelmingly visual, with dark, mosaic images ranging from distortions of sacred scenes literally painted into the background, to shots of excessive physical violence which compose the thematic background for Clement Virgo's stories. Often presented in montage-ish segues between scenes, and generally garish in its symbolism, the viewer cannot stop looking at Virgo's panorama; I walked away feeling like I needed another viewing just watch the compositions.
The three stories of the film, already graphically intense in their narrative, draw extraordinary power from this visual context. All three stories are set to the pirate radio voice of DJ Rude, whose sharp and witty monologues float through the film in much the same way as its images. This framing device works very well here--neither condescending, moralizing, nor patronizing. Simply the voice of pain, anger, and frustration, coated in slick, deliberate, and decidedly politically incorrect terms. It is not a linear compliment to the film. It has almost nothing to do with the plotline--rather, it is tonal and atmospheric, using a voice in much the same as another director might use a unifying colour or soundtrack. The effect is disturbing, but very successful.
The main plotline concerns an ex-con struggle to be an honest husband and father, despite pressure to return to the streets as General Luke, well-paid dealer. It is an exercise in self-deprecation, an observation of societal-deprecation, and a very plausible attempt to negotiate worth in a micro-culture that values an escape from pain above everything, including life itself. These are not new themes for films set in poverty-ridden situations, but Virgo's presentation is amazingly fresh: character twists, such as presenting a wife as a police officer, mingle well with intense stand-offs, death-wishing mob bosses, and even motifs as old as the tortured artist. This is the most linear of the three stories, and it hangs together well--in addition to setting the narrative backdrop for the film, it is "real," engaging and empathetic.
One of the two secondary storylines revolves around a young woman who must cope with the emotional, psychological and physical aftermath of a relationship. Presented less as a story and more as an impression, the sequence of shots is often internally inconsistent--conflicting images representing the same memory occur, and this is often taken to surreal extremes. Frequently the lips move, but something different is being said. These memories are conveyed effectively with videotape sequences (apparently the boyfriend's fetish), which become confused and conflated with the real life within her apartment (all of this story's sequences take place here). These distortions, amplified by different filters, uncomfortable angles, and the use of decorative mannequins strewn about the shots, appropriately reflect the incongruities she is too conscious of in her mind and body. The effect is of a violence almost completely internalized, but perhaps more powerful in its repression, discovery and exorcism.
Meanwhile, the audience is also following the problems of a young man who is forced to wrestle with a fundamental inconsistency: he belongs to a peer group of gay bashers while wrestling personally with the issue of homosexuality. The themes of a boxing movie are utilized here to deflect some of the violence generated by this tension, but finally the violence which has developed physically in this benign direction must explode in the direction of the anger. Virgo has said that he wanted to explore the issue of homophobia in black popular culture, but the film also fits thematically with the other two: none of these stories promise better conditions for the next day, but in some way each of the three leads has found a way to describe themselves in a way that they can live with. In a film where life is alternately very cheap and extremely precious, this successful negotiation of themes is perhaps the most powerful part of the film.
It is unbelievable to me that RUDE could have been filmed for a reported $350,000 by a first-time director. The acting is more than convincing, the sets alternate brutal realism with eerie surrealism very effectively, and to my untrained eye, the technical achievement of this film rivals almost anything I've seen this year. Virgo's highly stylized directing is visually riveting and thematically complex. To the criticism that it is overly symbolic: perhaps the same power could have been delivered a little more subtly, but I am reminded of something I read in a local review: it does not matter. The film itself is also about making symbols, icons to hang identity upon, and if it is overdone here, this too is appropriate.
There's a rumour going about that Virgo and novelist Michael Ondatje may make a film together in the near future. As a big fan of both artists, I am eager for this to be true. Meanwhile, I highly recommend RUDE to anyone with an open-mind, strong stomach, and not-too-easily upset sensibilities. A tough tour-de-force for the eye and the mind.
-- T. Robin Sutherland Movie Buffs Rant: http://www.interlog.com/~robin/rant/movies.html
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