I was fortunate to see this film in 2004 at the Syracuse International Film & Video Festival, and even more fortunate that Larry Bridges himself appeared at the conclusion of the film to answer questions.
The film does not possess a conventional, linear plot. I found the storyline to be rather surreal, but I don't think of this as a criticism. As Bridges remarked, he didn't "storyboard" his film, but left himself open as cinematographer/director/writer to the unplanned and the improvisational. The storyline, which alludes to the capricious relationships of Greek myth and Greek gods, mirrors in a lighthearted way the chaotic events in Los Angeles in the 1990's that are represented in the film. It was a decade of earthquakes, riots, and floods. Apparently Bridges kept filming right through the 1992 riots: foolhardy and inspiring. I do confess that I don't understand the emphasis on Wilde's play, "The Importance of Being Earnest," but never mind - caprice of the gods.
I think this film is a remarkable and unique work of art. The texture that Bridges achieved in editing material acquired over a decade of filming has the richness of life itself. One sees the actual aging of its actresses and actors, who are surprisingly credible in their roles as gods, demigods, and mortals. The physical environment of Southern California is lovingly and widely represented. The images include aerial and wide-angle landscapes of the Channel Islands, local icons such as Mann's Chinese Theater, City Hall, and LAX, to the urban landscape of South Central and Korea Town.
I was engrossed by the film for its entire 124 minutes.
The film does not possess a conventional, linear plot. I found the storyline to be rather surreal, but I don't think of this as a criticism. As Bridges remarked, he didn't "storyboard" his film, but left himself open as cinematographer/director/writer to the unplanned and the improvisational. The storyline, which alludes to the capricious relationships of Greek myth and Greek gods, mirrors in a lighthearted way the chaotic events in Los Angeles in the 1990's that are represented in the film. It was a decade of earthquakes, riots, and floods. Apparently Bridges kept filming right through the 1992 riots: foolhardy and inspiring. I do confess that I don't understand the emphasis on Wilde's play, "The Importance of Being Earnest," but never mind - caprice of the gods.
I think this film is a remarkable and unique work of art. The texture that Bridges achieved in editing material acquired over a decade of filming has the richness of life itself. One sees the actual aging of its actresses and actors, who are surprisingly credible in their roles as gods, demigods, and mortals. The physical environment of Southern California is lovingly and widely represented. The images include aerial and wide-angle landscapes of the Channel Islands, local icons such as Mann's Chinese Theater, City Hall, and LAX, to the urban landscape of South Central and Korea Town.
I was engrossed by the film for its entire 124 minutes.