'The Brown Bunny' is the kind of independent art film that was always destined to polarise the opinions of critics and audiences alike. Gallo's controversial decision to incorporate a graphic hard-core oral sex scene between him and co-star Chloe Sevigny was interpreted by many as gratuitous and the film's modest pacing and minimalist plot inevitably alienated a large section of mainstream film-goers.
'The Brown Bunny', which was written, directed, edited, produced and photographed by Vincent Gallo, is essentially an existential road movie that departs from traditional modes of narrative filmic communication. The film treads a similar thematic terrain to his directorial debut 'Buffalo 66' in that in both films the central protagonist is struggling to come to terms with certain events that have taken place in his past. However, in this film Gallo dispenses with his uniquely black sense of humour and with any real linear narrative in favour of providing a character study of a man deep in grief; carefully detailing every subtle nuance and trait of his increasingly pathological behaviour.
The journey that Gallo takes us on is an entirely subjective one. Throughout the film, Gallo forces the spectator to scrutinise Bud and his facial expressions in extreme close-ups. We look on as Bud spontaneously breaks down and weeps within the confines of his van. The spectator is made to feel like a voyeur because what we are witnessing seems so personal and private. These extreme close-ups make two things clear: Firstly, Gallo is committed with the Brown Bunny to present Bud's state of mind visually and not by resorting to the traditional Classical Hollywood method of using dialogue or voice-overs. Secondly, they emphasise the impossibility of this task. Ultimately, we cannot tell how Bud is feeling simply by looking into his eyes or observing his facial expressions at close proximity. In this sense, Gallo also seems to be exploring the limits of the filmic image in representing a character's subjective mental state.
Gallo's cinematography is characterised by an abundance of static shots, precise compositions and long takes that are all employed in a methodical manner, creating a slow and rhythmic pace that accurately evokes a pensive atmosphere of romantic grieving. His decision to shoot on Super 16mm film with a non-linear digital blowup to 35mm gives 'the Brown Bunny' the grainy visuals of Independent American cinema of the early seventies.
It is difficult to fault Gallo's eye for aesthetic detail. Beautifully photographed shots of the open road and the picturesque American landscape are accompanied by the wistful and haunting melodies of folk artists like Gordon Lightfoot and Jackson C Frank. These incredibly evocative musical interludes serve to heighten the cathartic experience between the spectator and Bud, encouraging us not only to ponder the provenance of Bud's turmoil but also providing us with an opportunity to reflect on our own lives and loves.
The film's major shortcoming is Gallo's blatant and overstated use of metaphor. We are left in doubt that Bud Clay is the proverbial bunny of the film's title. Gallo's symbolism is at its most contrived in a peculiar scene in which Bud randomly visits a pet store to inquire about the life expectancy of the rabbits. This notion of Bud as the symbolic bunny who only has a short time to live if he cannot re-establish his emotional equilibrium is again overtly reinforced visually through Bud's entire brown apparel in the film's final reel.
The spectator's sense of voyeurism is sustained throughout the film and culminates in the penultimate fellatio fantasy sequence between Bud and Daisy which is beautifully bathed in speckles of blue light. Gallo ingeniously integrates icons of pornography into the narrative, which he then juxtaposes against his protagonist's feelings of insecurity, jealousy and guilt to formulate a scene that is both genuinely disturbing yet emotionally insightful. Far from being erotic or exploitation's, this scene marks Gallo's most significant achievement with 'the Brown Bunny'; a personal study of masculinity, masochism and the male ego. It is Bud's ego that initially leads him to view himself as the victim of the events surrounding Daisy's death by interpreting his pregnant girlfriend's brutal rape as an act of infidelity. His masturbatory fantasy explores the gulf between sex and intimacy in the context of a couple who have had their emotional ties severed. Bud makes a vein attempt to try and recapture the intimacy that he once shared with Daisy through an act of physical gratification. When he cannot find solace in this ritual and realises that it does not satisfy his emotional needs, he is forced to confront his own masculinity and that ultimately places him on another spiritual road to either redemption or suicide. Gallo deliberately leaves the ending wide open through his use of a final memorable freeze-frame.
I admire any man who takes three years out of his life to single-handedly create a movie that he wholeheartedly believes in, no matter what the end result. As anyone in the industry will tell you, it's hard enough to get a terrible film made let alone a truly great one. 'The Brown Bunny' stands up as an undoubtedly brave and ambitious meditation on love and loss that, despite its flaws, retains a remarkably powerful cumulative effect..
'The Brown Bunny', which was written, directed, edited, produced and photographed by Vincent Gallo, is essentially an existential road movie that departs from traditional modes of narrative filmic communication. The film treads a similar thematic terrain to his directorial debut 'Buffalo 66' in that in both films the central protagonist is struggling to come to terms with certain events that have taken place in his past. However, in this film Gallo dispenses with his uniquely black sense of humour and with any real linear narrative in favour of providing a character study of a man deep in grief; carefully detailing every subtle nuance and trait of his increasingly pathological behaviour.
The journey that Gallo takes us on is an entirely subjective one. Throughout the film, Gallo forces the spectator to scrutinise Bud and his facial expressions in extreme close-ups. We look on as Bud spontaneously breaks down and weeps within the confines of his van. The spectator is made to feel like a voyeur because what we are witnessing seems so personal and private. These extreme close-ups make two things clear: Firstly, Gallo is committed with the Brown Bunny to present Bud's state of mind visually and not by resorting to the traditional Classical Hollywood method of using dialogue or voice-overs. Secondly, they emphasise the impossibility of this task. Ultimately, we cannot tell how Bud is feeling simply by looking into his eyes or observing his facial expressions at close proximity. In this sense, Gallo also seems to be exploring the limits of the filmic image in representing a character's subjective mental state.
Gallo's cinematography is characterised by an abundance of static shots, precise compositions and long takes that are all employed in a methodical manner, creating a slow and rhythmic pace that accurately evokes a pensive atmosphere of romantic grieving. His decision to shoot on Super 16mm film with a non-linear digital blowup to 35mm gives 'the Brown Bunny' the grainy visuals of Independent American cinema of the early seventies.
It is difficult to fault Gallo's eye for aesthetic detail. Beautifully photographed shots of the open road and the picturesque American landscape are accompanied by the wistful and haunting melodies of folk artists like Gordon Lightfoot and Jackson C Frank. These incredibly evocative musical interludes serve to heighten the cathartic experience between the spectator and Bud, encouraging us not only to ponder the provenance of Bud's turmoil but also providing us with an opportunity to reflect on our own lives and loves.
The film's major shortcoming is Gallo's blatant and overstated use of metaphor. We are left in doubt that Bud Clay is the proverbial bunny of the film's title. Gallo's symbolism is at its most contrived in a peculiar scene in which Bud randomly visits a pet store to inquire about the life expectancy of the rabbits. This notion of Bud as the symbolic bunny who only has a short time to live if he cannot re-establish his emotional equilibrium is again overtly reinforced visually through Bud's entire brown apparel in the film's final reel.
The spectator's sense of voyeurism is sustained throughout the film and culminates in the penultimate fellatio fantasy sequence between Bud and Daisy which is beautifully bathed in speckles of blue light. Gallo ingeniously integrates icons of pornography into the narrative, which he then juxtaposes against his protagonist's feelings of insecurity, jealousy and guilt to formulate a scene that is both genuinely disturbing yet emotionally insightful. Far from being erotic or exploitation's, this scene marks Gallo's most significant achievement with 'the Brown Bunny'; a personal study of masculinity, masochism and the male ego. It is Bud's ego that initially leads him to view himself as the victim of the events surrounding Daisy's death by interpreting his pregnant girlfriend's brutal rape as an act of infidelity. His masturbatory fantasy explores the gulf between sex and intimacy in the context of a couple who have had their emotional ties severed. Bud makes a vein attempt to try and recapture the intimacy that he once shared with Daisy through an act of physical gratification. When he cannot find solace in this ritual and realises that it does not satisfy his emotional needs, he is forced to confront his own masculinity and that ultimately places him on another spiritual road to either redemption or suicide. Gallo deliberately leaves the ending wide open through his use of a final memorable freeze-frame.
I admire any man who takes three years out of his life to single-handedly create a movie that he wholeheartedly believes in, no matter what the end result. As anyone in the industry will tell you, it's hard enough to get a terrible film made let alone a truly great one. 'The Brown Bunny' stands up as an undoubtedly brave and ambitious meditation on love and loss that, despite its flaws, retains a remarkably powerful cumulative effect..