Burning Cane, 2019.
Directed by Phillip Youmans.
Starring Wendell Pierce, Karen Kaia Livers, and Dominique McClellan.
SYNOPSIS:
Amongst the cane fields of rural Louisiana, an aging mother struggles between her religious convictions and the love of her son.
Phillip Youmans delivers one of the most precocious feature debuts in recent memory with Burning Cane, a film so studied in its deliberate, poetic approach that it implies a filmmaker far more experienced than the 19-year-old Youmans (who, better still, shot the project when he was just 17).
Set in rural Louisiana, Youmans’ film follows the humdrum lives of three characters – Daniel (Dominique McClennan), an unemployed alcoholic struggling to keep his life afloat, his mother Helen (Karen Kaia Livers), who juggles her religious deference with the fraught struggle of her kin, and Reverend Tillman (Wendell Pierce), an alcoholic preacher with a penchant for drunk driving.
Beyond being a three-pronged study of beleaguered and connected characters, audiences may wonder quite what Youmans’ thematic through-line is here; is it a takedown of masculine social constructs which reinforce destructive behaviour, a devastating reminder of the firmly-stacked deck against black people, or an observation of what “evil” means in the modern world? Or is it all three?
The film’s poetic, often flowery dialogue clearly isn’t much interested in giving a clear answer, yet even an opening monologue about something as seemingly mundane as a rash-stricken dog proves fascinating thanks to the quality performances on offer. Karen Kaia Livers’ voice is the first we hear in the film, and whether reciting lyrical V.O. or performing opposite her screen son, she brings a world-heary heft to the table.
Dominique McClennan similarly presents a relatably defeated Daniel, a character whose precise trouble isn’t ever fully elucidated, seemingly by design, but whose heart is clearly tormented by at least the demon drink, and quite probably something more.
Yet it’s unavoidably Pierce, obviously the famed one of the trio, who steals the movie every chance he gets, proving perfectly cast as a boom-voiced pastor, his early rant about consumerism proving especially absorbing. His Reverend is ultimately a sad picture of a corrupted soul, and Pierce is as typically inscrutable as you’d reasonably expect.
The pic’s overall great strength throughout, though, is its unwavering, convincing authenticity in depicting the depressing mundanity of small-town life, and the utter helplessness that comes when you pile personal foibles on top of existential boredom. These moments of wallowing are often ironically juxtaposed against the upbeat backing of a church choir, in one of Youmans’ smarter stylistic choices.
As his own cinematographer and co-editor, he also crafts an exacting tableau of imagery, the naturalistic visuals enhanced by precise cuts which double-underline the film’s emphatic snapshot effect, ensuring that the scant 78-minute runtime isn’t for a lack of material.
While hardly a majorly energising piece of work, Burning Cane is a contemplative, desperately sad showcase for its cast – especially the ever-strong Wendell Pierce – and a persuasive statement from its young director.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Shaun Munro – Follow me on Twitter for more film rambling.
