Use
of Audio
While there are some times where the audio gets a little
muddy in a few of the long shots, like the opening shot
with the porters washing dishes, and a few places where
a few of the asides are a little soft, the audio for Purple
Pastures sounds pretty good.
The
simplistic piano & accoustic guitar music that opens
the film, bridges scenes and comes behind lulls in conversations
is just the right minimalistic touch for a film that doesn't
have much else in the way of music. This is, first and foremost,
a movie about conversation--not a vehicle to advertise the
latest single from 'Green Day' or 'INXS'.
One
thing that's of especial note in this area is the use of
sound effects. Because the film takes place in a single
restaurant with three different groups of people, a lot
can be done with 'connected' sound effects to provide an
additional feeling of closeness and community. For example,
there's a part where the three bartenders are talking and
a lull develops in the conversation. At that point, an ambulance
starts wailing from deeper in the city. The next shot takes
us back to the upstairs conversation between the two restaurateurs
with the ambulence siren still in the background. There
is a subtle shift in the pitch and volume to show that it's
being heard form a different part of the restaurant, which
is just quite a nice touch.
Use
of Budget
Considering where Jacob used his budget--primarily for an
excellent camera set up--he did a remarkably good job of
stretching his budget for the rest of the film. Were there
some flaws in the film that might have been fixed with a
little more time which could have perhaps been provided
with a less expensive camera rig? Sure. However, I have
shot films in which time was no object and still had some
of these same issues, so I think he made the right calls
on where to expend his money. Especially since he didn't
forget about audio quality in pursuit of a professional
image!
The
ladder of success is looked
at from a porter's perspective...
...all
the way up to the perspective
of the owner of the restaurant.
Lasting
Appeal
I've watched this film three times, with three different
groups of reviewers and I have enjoyed it each time. I think
there's a lot of lasting appeal in Purple Pastures because
it deals with such an age-old topic: the desire for the
better life. It can be argued that this is a uniquely American
quandry, as America spends the most time trying to either
self-improve or self-gratify iteslf. Maybe that's true.
However, film is a litmus test for the culture it was created
in--and I feel that Purple Pastures does a very good
job of portraying urban American culture, specifically that
of the largest urban culture in America.
While
this film won't be everyone's glass of bourbon, it has a
rewatchability to it that beckons to anyone who's ever spent
an all nighter with friends discussing the way the world
works and our place in it.
Overall
Comment While there are a couple of acting issues and some overly
long sections, Purple Pastures is a remarkably good film
that deserves to be seen. So long as you're watching it
with some suitably introspective--or inebriated--friends,
you'll find that the film opens up some rather interesting
discussions. And since film is the modern storytelling medium
for introducing cultural currency, that's a decidedly good
thing.
