EIFF 2009: White Lightnin'

Based on the semi-biographical story of Jesco White, White Lightnin' is a brutal and uncompromising example of the trials and tribulations of hillbilly life. It's the classic story of the uneducated, disadvantaged youth, incapable of finding his place in society, whose life's choices are exacerbated by drug abuse (in this case a heavy petrol-sniffing addiction), the loss of his beloved father and recurring incarcerations. Though the plot may sound familiar, White Lightnin' is a testament to both filmmaking techniques and acting talent. Director Dominic Murphy masks Jesco's violent life with blurred scenes in muted, almost monochrome imagery, giving viewers just enough visually to allow their brains to imagine the rest. Jesco himself, played with a dangerous authenticity by one-to-watch Edward Hogg, is tightly wound, barely restrained, unimposing yet rather terrifying, while Carrie Fisher makes a daring, and successful, leap into the trailer to portray the love of his life, Cilla. Reminiscent thematically of Australian outing Chopper or, more recently, the excellent British feature Bronson, White Lightnin' finds its roots firmly planted in the Deep South. Narrated with an effeminate drawl by Hogg as Jesco and interspersed with a soundtrack that encapsulates the banjo-playing transition between blues and country and western it lingers, disturbs and encourages a second viewing.