University of Virginia Library

CINEMA

'Joe Hill': Luscious Color, Poor Plot

By PAUL CHAPLIN

The years after the Civil War,
up to the outbreak of World
War I, have always been
uninteresting to me. I suppose
this is due to a lack of study on
my part, not fully
understanding all the various
growing pains the American
nation was undergoing at the
time. Swedish director Bo
Widerberg's newest film
concentrates on one of the
folk heroes of the early part of
this century, the
immigrant-martyr Joe Hill.

The film, which is the total
artistic project of Widerberg's
(author, director, and editor),
is really a second cousin to his
first big success "Elvira
Madagan." The plot unfolds
slowly, and is only slightly
confusing as Widerberg
presents scenes from Hill's life.
It's as though Widerberg did
dream he saw Joe Hill, and the
pieces of that vision were
connected on film with
subtitles to inform the viewer
when the locale and time had
changed.

The photography, like that
in "Elvira" is beautiful, with
luscious colors; blacks looks
like velvet and grass has a
golden glow in the California
sunshine. The sound track
doesn't feature Mozart
however, but a twelve-string
guitar connects the individual
scenes and establishing a
rambling mood.

I don't care particularly for
Widerberg's handling of Hill's
death. We know when it's
coming, but Widerberg prefers
to take his time building up to
it, almost losing us in the
process. He is a gentleman
though, and will not show any
blood gushing out of a body,
or an actual death for that
matter.

The production is perhaps
more accurate to the times
than other films have been.
The lower life of New York,
with the living dead in gutters,
is depressing, but the railroads
look heroic chugging through
the land.

Widerberg's film has little
dialogue, which has the
tendency to confuse the
viewer. Don't be put off by the
first fifteen minutes of the
film, which is in Swedish: Hill
was originally from Sweden,
known as Joel Hagglund, then
Joe Hillstrom, before he
changed his name and joined
the forces of the International
Workers of the World fighting
for the working classes.

I wish Widerberg had paid
more attention to the visual
form. "Joe Hill" and "Elvira
Madagan" are mood films,
attempting to hit a responsive
chord in us, and impress us of
their imagery, relying on his
audience to supply the
emotions the films doesn't
articulate. While "Joe Hill" is
something more than the
pretty bubblebath "Elvira
Madagan" was, more plot
would have greatly enhanced
the film.

(Now at the Cinema)