Exactly what it says on the tin (Limbo (DVD))

Member Name: TJ-Mackey

Product:	Limbo (DVD)
Date:	01/08/01 (96 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Unpredictable story, superb characterisation, beautiful cinematography

Disadvantages: Quite slow in places, so definitely not to everyone's taste

Limbo: a condition of unknowable outcome.

There are some places that are very closely connected to the wilderness, where it's often impossible to know what will happen next. With several possibilities, but no understanding of which will follow, you're constantly placed in a state of limbo. Juneau, the state capital of Alaska, is one such place, and is the focus for the first half of this intriguing movie from writer-director John Sayles.

Sayles likes to tell good stories in his films, but he also tries to reveal themes that are buried beneath them. In the excellent 'Lone Star', he developed a murder mystery to drive a story that focused on the ethnic, geographic and historic borders that exist in the southern United States. History, and the stories and legends that accompany it, were used to strengthen the idea of cutting ties with the past to open up the future. In 'Limbo', however, the characters cannot escape their past, because they're never sure of where they're going, or even where they want to be going.

At the beginning of the film, we're introduced to some of the people of Juneau while also being shown the town itself. Facing differing economic prospects during the decline of the town's fishing industry, the future is as uncertain for the characters as it is for the town itself. Developers are keen to take advantage of Alaska's untouched natural beauty to increase the tourist industry for the town. Loggers realise the potential supply of lumber that can be cut down and sold, but their operation mustn't spoil the tourist industry's desired 'natural' image. Neither realises quite how close to the wild they really are, where one wrong move could lead to a situation of life-threatening danger.

Just in the same way that Juneau and its inhabitants are uncertain of where they're going, it is also the case for the movie's story structure. This is one of the most u
npredictable movies I've ever seen, and further reinforces Sayles' message that everything here is in limbo, even the story itself. At first, it appears the film will be about a developing relationship between local handyman Joe Gastineau (played by Sayles' regular David Strathairn) and nightclub singer Donna de Angelo (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio). Donna lives with her daughter Noelle and whichever man she is currently seeing; more often than not, she's only with the same guy for a couple of weeks. We watch as Joe and Donna gradually get to know each other and discover each other's past in a slow-moving opening hour.

However, halfway through 'Limbo', the story takes a dramatic turn that completely changes the remainder of the movie. Joe, Donna and Noelle set out on a boat trip and through events out of their control, the three become embroiled in a desperate struggle for survival in the vast Alaskan wilderness. It is here that the relationship between the three central characters moves to another level, as the seriousness of their situation begins to reveal more and more about their personalities.

What I admire John Sayles for most is his refusal to go down the obvious route, often leading the audience down one path before revealing an entirely different one. At first, the film would seem to be similar in style to those he has made before; a community with plenty of personalities; a slant on the social issues affecting those people; and a story painted on a broad canvas. Much like 'Lone Star', we are introduced to a range of characters early on in the movie, not all of them being central to the main storyline. However, where this film differs is that it eventually narrows its focus to just three individuals, and the adverse circumstances they are faced with.

When a story changes like this to concentrate on just a few characters, it's important that the actors are capable of giving realistic performa
nces, and in 'Limbo', they certainly deliver.

David Strathairn is a very capable actor, and he plays Joe in an understated manner that works perfectly for the character. Mastrantonio also shows the depth of her ability as she sings all of Donna's songs herself, and also remains entirely convincing in her more dramatic scenes. Most impressive though is the young Vanessa Martinez who plays Donna's daughter, Noelle. In only her second feature film appearance (and her first was just a couple of minutes in 'Lone Star'), she delivers a highly emotional part with real talent, and is surely an actress to look out for in the future. Sayles obviously had a lot of faith in her, especially as a number of the later scenes see the camera focus solely on Martinez for several minutes at a time.

In fact, the camerawork throughout the film is impressive. Award winning cinematographer Haskell Wexler was responsible for shooting the movie, and he captures the beauty and contrasting danger of the Alaskan landscape wonderfully. Lighting is also used very effectively in a number of scenes, with the colours often muted to great effect.

The ending of 'Limbo' has come in for a lot of criticism, but don't worry, it won't be revealed here. Suffice to say though, I can understand why many viewers hated it. Personally, I thought it was extremely appropriate to the themes Sayles had built up over the entire story, and I honestly can't think of a better way of finishing the film. A brave decision it may have been, but also one that made the most sense.

Take a chance, go and see this film, and watch a true auteur at work.

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