Cult Film: The Brown Bunny

Firstly, for those that doubt Vincent Gallo is a filmmaker worth taking seriously at all, I recommend his previous film, Buffalo 66. A much more accessible, though still unique film, it explores similar themes to The Brown Bunny. Namely, Vincent Gallo's trouble with women.

The Brown Bunny is, without doubt, not a film for everyone. The pacing is unlike that of virtually all films made in America, the only recent film I can name like this is Gus Van Sant's Gerry, with Matt Damon and Casey Affleck. Foreign filmmakers such as Abbas Kiarostami and Andrei Tarkovsky have also used this style, with many of their films now viewed as masterpieces of cinematic art.

My purpose here is not to say that those who dislike the film are simply "not smart enough" to understand it. The technique of 99% of films given a decent level of distribution today feed us a steady stream of information, with each scene abiding by a certain formula, in which a new piece of information is told to us and the hero is brought closer to or drawn away from a set goal. When so many films are seen that abide by this pattern a film such as The Brown Bunny, which uses an almost entirely different cinematic language, sticks out like a sore thumb.

We view the actions of the main character without being given any indication of his internal thoughts, and even the films final revelation does not adequately explain his reasons for behaving in such a way. Such a view of character is far closer to reality than any Hollywood film, in which characters motivations are always apparent to us. What is more important than his intentions is the way he feels, which is conveyed to the audience in a manner that is slow, but artistically satisfying. The music, editing, choice of shots, dialogue and performances in the film let this feeling wash over us at its own pace. But only if we are open to it.

The acting is also very different from Hollywood fare, as performers do not indicate their emotions in a transparent way. They behave in a style that is synchronous with that of the editing and action of the film, rather than attempting to behave in a realistic manner, or what we perceive as being realistic from expectations given to us by other films. Another reason many have rejected the film as nonsense.

It's easy to see the notorious final scene of the film as exploitative, especially if you haven't found yourself involved in the film up to this point. But Gallo is not out to exploit, in fact he has, as an artist who is responsible for virtually every aspect of the film, exposed to us a part of his psyche that very few filmmakers would dare show.