Moviecut—Louisiana Story

source: Louisiana Story

Louisiana Story

I loved it, wonderful photography, music and quite exciting. One never knows what's around the corner. Really well done. Very real like depiction of the glades in Louisiana. Even though it's fictional, there is enough reality in the cinematography. The actors were so natural. Only one who has lived that life, knows what it is truly like. We can only guess. Life was simple and not necessarily hard but joyful in its simplicity. See the good in it, there are enough negative critics.

Robert J. Flaherty was known for his documentaries, but this - which seems to be his most revered - is fictional. This movie was shot on location in Petit Anse Bayou, Louisiana - mostly in the swamps nearby. The three lead parts were played by locals. Steven Soderbergh did the same thing for his film BUBBLE (2005), which showcased mostly non-actors from the Wood County, West Virginia area - where it was shot. This is film has its problems. The plot of the story, while easy enough to understand, is too thin - there isn't any conflict. Dialogue is scarce. Flaherty is very learned in the art of the documentary; the art of the drama is not the same. This aside, I think this film is exquisitely shot. It's really very beautiful to look at. He and Leacock created the most beautiful alligator-ridden swamp in movie history.

The kind of work that I'd bet my mineral rights showed up regularly in pelican state tenth grade social studies and science classes throughout the 50s and 60s this is a docu drama about the co existence of oil drilling and bayou culture that is very light on the drama and way too easy on the petroleum industry (which is thanked for its "cooperation" in the credits). The result is a "beautiful" film ( ie, lots and lots of nature) that is ever so faintly dull. And the substitution of symphonic music with Cajun "elements" for, say, zydeco is like director Robert Flaherty carrying a sign that reads "kick me, I'm an elitist". Give it a C.

This is a classic film that blurs the line between documentary and fiction. Here, you won't find a very good plot, but some very interesting sequences and some of the most visually pleasing imagery ever put to screen. From watching both this and "Man of Aran" you can tell that Flaherty is a very unconventional filmmaker. His films have staged scenes that, as I mentioned earlier, blur the line between fiction and nonfiction creating a nontraditional signature style. In this film, we follow a young boy (and his friend, a raccoon) living an average life in his hometown. We see him paddle down rivers, walk through the woods, and have tons of entertaining adventures. Then, a bunch of oil drillers move to town. We watch these oil drillers do their work with very minimal dialogue. It's almost all expressed in visuals. While the film may sound boring and seems to start off kind of boring, in the end, it's a truly adventurous masterpiece! One of my favorites!

A Cajun boy is fishing and hunting with his pet raccoon out in the Louisiana bayou. He comes upon a crew of oil drillers and has various adventures. This was Oscar nominated for writing which is probably the least compelling part of this movie. It can be argued that there is barely any writing involved. Its strength is the sense of reality in the swamp and the oiler crew. It's a slice of life. It's the docu-style of filmmaking. The kid may not be a great actor but he has realism on his side. There are some great scenes. I can't forget the raccoon and it's great to see a real drilling crew working. The plot isn't much. It's really just a series of swamp adventures.

Robert Flaherty was the great American documentary filmmaker from Nanook of the North to Louisiana Story. Funded by the oil industry, nonetheless, the great visuals from a director -cinematographer make this film a joy. Forget the story and "see" the film!

Robert Flaherty had a great eye for the interesting shots. Never more so than this oil company funded film about a young boy seeing the oil rig come to his Louisiana bayou. Although there is not much of a story the shots of the oil rig, life in the bayou, and the moods that Flaherty captures make it a film well worth seeing. If you see "Man of Aran" or "Nannok of the North" remember it was the same great documentary filmmaker. I've seen it twice and probably will see it again someday.