Brilliant Study of Western American Cultural Roots

It's creepy in parts but it's also beautiful and funny too.

I think it's one of the most honest Westerns ever made.

interesting but many problems
I wanted to like this movie and in places I did. Johnny Depp turns in a stellar performance and several of the scenes are interesting in an acid-trip kind of way (I found out after watching this that it's called an "acid western") but oh, dear, the sound track is obnoxious and distracting. It's probably twice as loud as the voice track. I missed a lot of dialogue because I had to keep the volume down to keep the guitar boing-oing-oing tolerable.

Also -- it really didn't have to be this long. I wasn't looking for an action film, but personally I don't think there's enough substance here for 120 minutes.

A work of art
A quiet,artistic, thought provoking, bizarre, incredibly cinematic piece of work. So many things said in so few words. Don't expect action packed and full of adventure, just enjoy the view and the oddity.

Interesting concept, unfortunately flawed
We first see Bill Blake (Depp) coming West on a train. He's a bored and bespectacled dandy amongst frontier people. He's come West from Cleveland after the death of his parents and the receipt of a job offer as an accountant from John Dickinson (Mitchum).

Turns out, Blake's arrived too late. Dickinson's already hired an accountant. So, he's alone and penniless in Machine.

He spends his last coin on a bottle and comes upon a woman who makes paper flowers. She takes him back to her room and presumably Blake is 'deflowered.' Dickinson's son arrives on the scene, angry that Blake has taken his girl. The two lovers shoot each other, but the killing's blamed on the last man standing, Blake.

Blake, who is also wounded, takes flight on a pinto horse that young Dickinson was riding. He passes out from his injuries and wakes to see Nobody (Gary Farmer) standing above him, cursing the stupid White men. Nobody, who is a Makah Indian, takes care of Blake through the film because he's under the mistaken impression that Blake is William Blake, the poet.

The film's one in joke after another, including two of the cast members being named after members in Tom Petty's band. Iggy Pop is shown briefly in a dress.
This should be funny, but the humor fell flat.

I had several issues with the film. First, the soundtrack to dialogue balance was way off. If I wanted to hear what was spoken, the plangent 'fuzzy' Neil Young guitar nearly blew me out of the room. I love Young's music, but this is his worst venue. Second, the black and white filming lacked sufficient contrast and watching the film was tedious on the eyes. Third, the disconnected vignette style just didn't work. While it was possible to keep the thread of the film in you mind, dealing with the storyline interspersed with Young's jarring chords was more work than it was worth. Finally, they just didn't even bother with realism. One key note was the teddy bear was invented several years after this film was supposed to take place.

Considering all the flaws, I'd give the film a one star rating, but the two I've checked go to Gary Farmer. In my opinion, he gave the best performance in a very bad situation.

Rebecca Kyle, September 2008

Very Much Alive
A rabid fan or not of the Director or Johnny Depp, this film is worth viewing for its courageousness, risk and overall success. A mood piece with the varying landscapes serving to set tone, the actors all have an understated approach to their performances, even when the script, or ad libbing would have made an over the top performance too easy. A film in which Iggy Pop can play a clearly feminine "man" with some believability, though suspension of belief in the rational world is an good attribute to have when viewing this picture, makes this a successful film. No in between here though, you will either see it and not choose to see it again, or buy it and watch it over and over. Its got a hook - watch out!