User Reviews

Forget Boxcar Willy, this is the real thing. This movie is well made, and like the other review has said, it bears strong similarities to Dark Days, both are non glamorous, honest portrayals of people on the fringe of our society, as New York Slim puts it "the unwanted, the lost souls". Both movies dig into the lives of people you and I would normally never talk to revealing some truly interesting characters with heart wrenching personal stories. They cluster together and form whatever bonds they can in the unforgiving lands they travel. Some are decent people (New York Slim verges on the saintly) while others fit the stereotype, shiftless, people using, alcoholics/drug addicts. The main difference between the two movies is that Dark Days has a wonderful uplifting ending, whereas Long Gone is far less a fairy tale. There are some magical moments in the movie, such as the almost unbelievable love affair between the grizzly old, toothless dogman Tony and the remarkably beautiful and angelic 18 year girl (I forget her name, or it's not mentioned). I will never again complain about mismatched romantic pairings in movies after seeing this, if someone were to script that I would walk out of the theatre.

But I digress. Some of this movie upset me, there are times when you feel yelling that these people for some questionable personal decisions they are making, for instance letting an alcoholic kill himself or having a relationship with a drug using asshole, but I guess these people accept each other for who they are, not judging them or trying to change them like the rest of us would. That is probably the most common message throughout this film, pure acceptance without judgement. Of course, this is not a perfect philosophy as many of these people learn with very hard life lessons and could have been avoided. So is it better to accept self destructive people for who they are or try to help them? This movie offers no answers, but the question is presented in subtle ways without narration. The conclusion I draw is that this kind of lifestyle is not for the faint of heart.

This is a sad movie and a bit of a downer (although for the ultimate downer, try "Black Tar Heroin: The Dark End of the Street", which is the most depressing documentary on drug use I have ever seen) but it's real, and raw and at times there are glimpses of beauty (with Tom Waits suitably howling in the background in the more touching moments of the film) and will surprise you and challenge your pre conceived notions of what society labels as "bums". There are real people underneath, maybe a little messed up, but they should not all be painted with the same brush. In fact, many of these people have more character than the lying scumbag producer from 20/20 who completely lied to the faces of the train riders and did exactly what they were pleading with him not to do, smear them. What this movie and other movies like Dark Days reveal is that life is more complex than we allow ourselves to believe, even though it's easier to deal with it if we make assumptions, but it's not reality, it is artificial realty we create to justify our own coldness and heartlessness.

Long Gone is a fascinating look at the "society" of modern day hobos, documented over a number of years. The film is well produced and succeeds in getting its generally reclusive subjects to open up, following them along the rails, at a hobo convention, and at home, wherever that might be. This remarkable accomplishment was possible because evidently the creators were themselves part of the fragmented scene before they started making the movie. Instead of hamming it up or shying away from the camera, the subjects appear strikingly natural.

The movie does not by any means romanticize the life of a hobo, whether they are old timers or rebellious kids, despite what one might expect from filmmakers documenting a way of life obviously very familiar to them. Nor is it a condemnation of these people on the margin of American society. I think it presents a balance between the terrible beauty to be seen while riding a freight train and the harsh conditions to be endured while on the rails or trying to get back on them, and between the freedom of relative isolation from society, and the pitfalls of seeking company to escape that isolation.

For a subject whose popular understanding is, at its deepest, limited to sensational stories about gang members on a national killing spree, this film is certainly enlightening, if sometimes depressing. But more than that, it's a moving look at human behavior in an obscure and remote setting. I would highly recommend this movie even to those who might think the subject uninteresting at first.

I just saw Long Gone at the Gothenburg film festival, and had the chance to chat with one of the directors afterwards. The film, shot during seven summers, lets us in on the little known lifestyle of train-hoppers in the USA. The story focuses on five of these characters and we get to hear their stories about how they became what they are, and what it's like riding cargo trains, confronting the police, and be a homeless war veteran who can't find a place in regular society.

During the first half of the film, i felt a little bit uneasy about what i felt was a romantic glorification of the lifestyle of a bunch of people with severe problems -- most of the guys portrayed in the film are either alcoholics or drug addicts. However, i had changed my mind after seeing the whole picture. Long Gone is a bare-bones documentary with no narration. The editing doesn't really make the film point in any direction, which may make the scenes seem a bit straggling. However, life doesn't always follow the dramatic rules of regular film making, and still there is a very compassionate overtone to the whole film.

If you have seen "Dark Days" (if you haven't, i recommend it), you'll see the similarities. But while Dark Days is stylish and nicely edited, Long Gone has a much more amateurish feel to it, be it positive or negative.

It's absurd that this film is unavailable for purchase, it was most definitely my favorite documentary of the decade, and soon to be a nearly impossible to find cult classic. I caught it during it's brief stint of showings at the Lemmley in Hollywood with some old train riding chums. I had seen a couple other docs on freight riding, but nothing really compares to the harsh yet honest portrayal of the characters in Long Gone. I remember leaving the theater feeling scared, and almost traumatized by the series of events that had been documented for over 7 years (if I remember correctly.) This film is nothing less than mesmerizing: beautiful scenery, splendid music (Tom Waits original soundtrack), and a reality that can only be sought by whoever dares to put themselves in the mix of this underground lifestyle. Tramp or train fan, even if you simply enjoy the documentation of rare events, this is a must see. Who knows why this film never found distribution, even a bald headed business man in a three piece suit would admire the truth and dedication it took to make such a brilliant record of events. I suppose many romantic endeavors can be seen as depressing, or somber, but that is just the reality of human existence. This film brilliantly captures the essence of freedom, and if you ever get the chance to see it, don't pass up the opportunity. Great things are hard to come by, and the film Long Gone is a true diamond.

There have been many documentaries made about this subject, the subject of train- riding and train-hopping in modern day America - and they are all equally nauseating, over-dramatic, and puke-inducing to watch. That's why this one struck me so hard. AS somebody who's been living this way for the past four years, and hadn't stayed in one place for longer than two months in three years, this documentary came off reeking of honesty and a lack of cheesy romanticism, and as a result, in the end - beauty. No romanticizing here. I picked up almost nothing on the bullshit radar when I saw this movie. It is a straight- forward, honest look at a way that a few people (thank god) still choose to live their lives, and it offers no delusions about the many pitfalls and downsides to this lifestyle and culture - heroin addiction, poverty, death - as well as some of the positive sides - freedom, (relative) lack of want, solitude, grace (depending on who you ask) and the ability to experience some intriguingly beautiful scenery firsthand, raw, and in the flesh rather than from the window of a car on the god damned junk-and-fast-food-littered highway.

This is by far the most worth-while documentary of it's kind made, and if you've watched Emperor of the North and now want to see a modern-day explanation of why and how this type of subculture still exists, and you can only watch one - this is the one. Not only is it honest and not melodramatic, but it's put together with some real tact and skill, so that even though it's a documentary, it plays out like a story. I'd recommend this to all.

Long Gone is one of the most accurate documentaries I have ever seen about riding freight trains in North America. The film is raw but beautiful, put together well but not overdone. Most importantly, the film allows the viewer a glimpse into the daily lives of REAL people. The characters are a mixture of Vietnam veterans and punks, drunkards and tellers of tall-tales - folks that society chooses to ignore, assuming ignorance and/or violence, an obvious fear of what is not understood. These people will show the viewer the beauty in their world - the beauty usually only seen by those who ride the freight trains through obscure parts of the country. The viewer will see the brotherhood in a notorious "gang" of train riders, the hardships of panhandling and complete poverty while on the move, struggle with drug addiction and alcoholism, vengeance, love, and ultimately death.

Unlike many documentaries, this film was captured from an insiders point of view - not from liberal media or a mainstream reporter. Jack Cahill (director) rode the trains with these people, forming lasting relationships with them that go far beyond a report on the inside of an entire sub-culture of people that society rarely are allowed a glance into.

This film does not have an unrealistic happy ending. Ultimately, the film is sad, but honest. What happens in the lives of the cast happens on film and although it may not necessarily be what one would expect, the truth unfolds in the end, scary, sad and beautiful.

This documentary has a healthy balance of the romance and reality of riding the rails. A balance of gorgeously rich film and gritty digital mediums, of old and new riders. While I've found many great books on the subject, written by those who've spent years on the rails it's been difficult finding much in the way of film. I appreciate being able to observe and hear each individual tell their own stories in their own words. This documentary will keep anyone entertained and is an absolute must own for anyone interested in railroading and subcultures.

Best freight train/hobo culture film since Wild Boys of the Road orBeggars of Life. But the real deal not Hollywood at all. An over looked and underrated master work. Seven years in the making.