Magazin für unabhängiges Kino
Filmwecker
Filmnotiz

Neue Notiz

Dark Blood

In 1993 River Phoenix died of an overdose while filming DARK BLOOD. The film remained unfinished, is now available with commentary by director George Sluizer standing in for the missing scenes.

More

When you talk about DARK BLOOD you have to talk about the behind the scenes. Dutch filmmaker George Sluizer (SPURLOS) shot it in Utah in 1993. A few weeks before it was done protagonist River Phoenix died of an overdose. The film remained incomplete in Sluizer’s drawer for 19 years. When the director became very ill he decided to finish this chapter of his life. DARK BLOOD was screened in February 2013 at the Berlinale and now it will screen in cinemas 20 years later. Even though the western thriller isn’t complete and Sluizer’s unshot material is given the voiceover treatment DARK BLOOD is an interesting bonus track for cineastes. The love triangle at the edge of a nuclear test site is perfectly cast and Ed Lachman captures the sparse nature with impressive images. Jonathan Pryce and Judy Davis play married couple Harry and Buffy going on their “second honeymoon” when their car breaks down and they are stranded with a strange local. River Phoenix gives him a mysterious aura. The grief over his wife who died from the effects of radioactive radiation and the loneliness of the desert make for a dangerous cocktail of anger and paranoia that Phoenix convincingly portrays. There’s another layer of melancholy to the film when you consider how far Phoenix could have made it. DARK BLOOD isn’t a complete film and perhaps it’s not a masterpiece in any form but it is worth seeing as a testament of a hopeful young actor. Filmrauschpalast will screen DARK BLOOD with Phoenix’ most famous film MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO (USA 1991, D: Gus Van Sant).

Lars Tunçay

Translation: Elinor Lewy

Credits

USA/Großbritannien/Niederlande 2012, 86 min
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Director: George Sluizer
Author: Jim Barton
DOP: Ed Lachman
Montage: Michiel Reichwein
Music: Florencia Di Concilio
Distributor: MISSING FILMS
Cast: Jonathan Pryce, Judy Davis, River Phoenix, Rhonda Aldrich, T. Dan Hopkins
FSK: 12
Release: 17.11.2016

IMDB

Screenings

  • OV Original version
  • OmU Original with German subtitles
  • OmeU Original with English subtitles

Keine Programmdaten vorhanden.

ALLE ANGABEN OHNE GEWÄHR.
Die Inhalte dieser Webseite dürfen nicht gehandelt oder weitergegeben werden. Jede Vervielfältigung, Veröffentlichung oder andere Nutzung dieser Inhalte ist verboten, soweit die INDIEKINO BERLIN UG (haftungsbeschränkt) nicht ausdrücklich schriftlich ihr Einverständnis erklärt hat.