Burning Cane, 2019.
Written and Directed by Phillip Youmans.
Starring Wendell Pierce, Karen Kaia Livers, Dominique McClellan, Braelyn Kelly, Emyri Crutchfield, and Erika Woods.
SYNOPSIS:
Amongst the cane fields of rural Louisiana, an aging mother struggles between her religious convictions and the love of her son.
It’s been said countless times already, but the weight behind the notable accomplishment bears repeating at the beginning of any and every review; Burning Cane is the result of writer/cinematographer/co-editor/director Philip Youmans, a college-student who crafted this quietly unsettling and thoughtful slice-of-life character study (centered on a Louisiana Southern Baptist community) when he was only 17. And while I’m not entirely sold on the film, the filmmaker exhibits great promise and, if nothing else, will assuredly go on to become one hell of a cinematographer. Debut feature or not, this is one of the most strikingly photographed films of the year and an experience that always seems to have its mind on how to effectively use unorthodox yet creative camera placement to further express its vague but absorbing story. Backed by Ava DuVernay’s blossoming distribution company Array, Burning Cane definitely works as an appropriate brand representation; it’s the kind of film that a small studio of hers should absolutely use its financing funds to support.
Equally split between observing the lives of three somewhat hypocritical individuals fixated on appeasing God while wrestling with their own secretive sins, the film opens with an aging heavyset woman narrating, in horrific detail, the mange eating away at the life force of her beloved dog JoJo and the various remedies that have not worked. The voiceover goes on for roughly 5 minutes as the cinematography fluidly follows Helen (unknown talent Karen Kaia Livers delivering an exceptional performance) around the rural surroundings of her home as she proceeds to butcher a chicken. Now, it certainly doesn’t sound like an enthralling sequence, but as mentioned, Karen Kaia Livers is superb at investing viewers into what she’s talking about. In a sense, the film hooks you from its opening.
That same notion proves to be true for the rest of the central characters, which involves Reverend Tillman (Wendell Pierce) jubilantly giving sermons as she struggles with demons of his own (including but not limited to alcohol addiction) off the job, and Helen’s son Daniel (Dominique McClellan) who is recently unemployed and spending more time at home with his son while his wife works, also drinking and slipping the boy some of the whiskey. The time spent in the church is energetic and, even if the script tends to rely a bit too much on bible speeches, contrasts well with the ongoings circling these characters, and it’s discomforting witnessing Daniel sketchily raise his child as he gets into frequent nasty arguments with his wife. Naturally, such unrest causes a rift between Helen and her son (although such fractures seem to have existed for a much longer time), and matters are only compounded when the newly widowed Reverend’s drunkenness spirals out of hand to the point where she must collect him from the side of the road and bring him home. It’s not just a film about the hypocrisy of these characters, but the inherent hypocrisy within religion itself and the bad behavior it encourages us to forgive.
Thematically, Burning Cane hits the mark but is clearly amateur filmmaking, whether you are aware of Philip Youmans’ inexperience or not. Many segments are repetitive, some scenes linger far longer than necessary eventually inciting brief boredom (it’s skillfully photographed, but one piece involves a character watching the 1969 animated version of The Jungle Book for so long that I stopped pondering what statement was being made to question how long this would go on), and there’s simply not enough depth to these characters to become fully encapsulated. Burning Cane is lived-in and rides off of heightened authenticity, which is something that the excellent cast can only take so far. Even the shocking climax doesn’t feel as powerful as it could be. With 77 minutes of material, there’s just not enough story to go around, especially with three lead characters.
Again, take nothing away from the cinematography, which frankly feels like it shouldn’t even be possible from a filmmaker so young. The lengthy tracking shots are most impressive, but Phillip Youmans finds an incisive approach to staging every single scene, beyond effectively conveying the intended fly-on-the-wall encompassing proceedings. Burning Cane might not be the most rewarding film from a narrative standpoint, but it’s an exciting debut in terms of craftsmanship that should take Phillip Youmans on a career worth following.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, friend me on Facebook, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, check out my personal non-Flickering Myth affiliated Patreon, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
Originally published October 28, 2019. Updated January 14, 2020.
