Jimmy P., 2013.
Directed by Arnaud Desplechin.
Starring Benicio Del Toro, Mathieu Amalric, Gina McKee, Larry Pine and Joseph Cross.
SYNOPSIS:
A Native American WWII veteran suffering from an inexplicable illness is admitted to a military hospital, where he comes under the care of a French anthropologist, psychoanalyst and specialist in Native American culture.
Arnaud Desplechin’s film states that it is based on a true story, taken from Georges Devereux’s anthropological study of his patient Jimmy P. The film opens on a ranch in the wild Montana plains in 1948. We first see Jimmy (Benicio Del Toro) lying asleep on the sofa, his sister shaking him out off an almost deathlike slumber. As he goes about his work on the ranch, it is clear that Jimmy is suffering from either physical or psychological trauma sustained during the war. These symptoms include temporary blindness, flashing lights and total physical incapacity. What exactly has brought these on is the mystery to be unravelled.
Jimmy is part of the Blackfoot tribe of Indians, though he never goes by his Blackfoot name nor is he wholly familiar with their old traditions and ways. Yet it is his Native American heritage that makes him an unusual case, enough to call in anthropologist and Native American expert, Georges Devereux (Mathieu Amalric). The hospital staff admit their ignorance of Native Americans, yet there is little sense of the racism against Indians endemic in the US in this period. At first glance, Devereux seems a little too larger than life, the epitome of the colourful emigré in postwar USA. Amalric soon reigns in his performance, providing a deep portrayal of this Romanian anthropologist cum psychoanalyst. Just as Jimmy does not go by his Blackfoot name, neither does Devereux reveal his original name and heritage. Both men share a hidden and painful past that lies close to the surface as well as debilitating physical ailments.
The music, costumes and the theme of mental illness have much in common with Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island. But this is where the parallels end. Despite elements normally associated with a thriller in Jimmy P., there is little that is particularly dark in this film. Gradually, as Jimmy progresses with his treatment, the audience’s theories that he sustained his injuries in a minefield or that he is suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome due to witnessing traumatic events whilst overseas are dismissed. So what it is that has caused Jimmy’s blinding headaches and sweaty panic attacks? The answer is as seemingly banal to the audience as it is monumentally significant to the patient.
This is what could tip critics either way: is the film a failed thriller or a successful rendition of a complex anthropological and psychological case study? The answer lies somewhere in between. However, the two main roles are compelling, Del Toro’s physical on-screen presence nicely countered by Almaric’s spritely psychoanalyst. There are fine performances from the supporting cast, but this is really all about the doctor and patient.
Flickering Myth Rating: Film ★ ★ ★ / Movie ★ ★ ★
Jo Ann Titmarsh
Originally published May 19, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
