David O'ConnellThe Dark Wind
January 12th 2010 04:25
Better known as an award-winning documentarian, director Errol Morris’s solo leap into the fray of fiction remains The Dark Wind, an understated meditation on the clash of spiritual and empirical worlds on an Indian reservation in Arizona. Based on a novel by crime writer Tony Hillerman, the film is a real curiosity piece, its turbulent post-production clearly a large factor in delaying the film's release in the States until three years after its 1991 shoot.
The film's centrepiece is Lou Diamond Phillips as Jim Chee, a Navajo policeman recently assigned a new posting where land once belonging to his people has recently been decreed Hopi land. He soon has his hands full with a series of minor thefts and the discovery of a dead body, but these pale into insignificance after he witnesses a light aircraft crash one night while on a lonesome stakeout in the desert. It’s an admittedly dubious pretext for his presence but you have to see the depth of open space in these parts for yourself to appreciate the plausibility!
It turns out the plane was carrying some very valuable cargo besides a trio of dead bodies. Just prior to Jim's arrival on the scene a stash of drugs are seemingly stolen by a mysterious third party as a truck disappears into the dust. DEA agents come steamrolling in and unsurprisingly they’re a corrupt duo with a virulent strain of justice in mind, keeping Jim pinned to his lowly place as he tries to unravel the congestion of loose ends impeding his vision.
A crucial creative choice by screenwriters Neal Jimenez and Eric Bergren was to load up on a voiceover by Chee which works like an expository internal dialogue with himself. It’s a real point of contentiousness; does it work or hamper the increasingly convoluted story? At various times, I’d say both. It’s a strictly novelistic device and one put to effective use in many great films (Taxi Driver, Blade Runner); but overused it can certainly jeopardize credibility and detract from the unique ways in which cinema holds sway over literature.
The film’s title is derived from a Navajo belief that a man who commits evil does so because a dark wind has blown through his soul. Morris’s direction is solid but the fact that he’s never visited the medium again may suggest he considered the film a failed venture. It certainly keeps your attention even if it never becomes anywhere close to compelling. The unique mystical and cultural dimensions of the story are respectfully portrayed; if nothing else they provide a rich vein to probe as the familiar trappings of crime and corruption are assembled around them.
Diamond Phillips gives a quiet, composed performance as the humble, sympathetic Chee. He may be a newcomer to these parts but is under no illusions about the significance of his appointment. As a Navajo he’s expected to tow the line whilst providing quick solutions to crimes related to his people. It's just that from his vantage point he can’t guess at the depth of the conspiracy blurring the borders of his investigation and putting him in imminent danger.
The support cast has negligible impact, though Gary Farmer as a Hopi detective who Chee turns to for help deserves a special mention. Fred Ward is sadly wasted as Chee's superior, appearing to little effect in scenes here and there.
The film’s final showdown, on what appears an elaborate set, is a little contrived, though it has atmosphere to burn thanks to the pyrotechnics of an incessant light show acting as lightning strikes and the percussive, rhythmic insistence of Michel Colombier’s exotic score. But these are ultimately undermined by failings in the screenplay which allow characters to conform more to stereotypes rather than evolve in interesting ways once the truth is flushed out and true motivations disclosed.
Though Morris has continued to evolve as a documentarian, garnering prestigious awards along the way, The Dark Wind remains an interesting failure buried deep in his past. It's well worth looking into for fans of the director despite a low-key approach which ultimately works against it.
The Dark Wind is now out on DVD from Madman.
The film's centrepiece is Lou Diamond Phillips as Jim Chee, a Navajo policeman recently assigned a new posting where land once belonging to his people has recently been decreed Hopi land. He soon has his hands full with a series of minor thefts and the discovery of a dead body, but these pale into insignificance after he witnesses a light aircraft crash one night while on a lonesome stakeout in the desert. It’s an admittedly dubious pretext for his presence but you have to see the depth of open space in these parts for yourself to appreciate the plausibility!
It turns out the plane was carrying some very valuable cargo besides a trio of dead bodies. Just prior to Jim's arrival on the scene a stash of drugs are seemingly stolen by a mysterious third party as a truck disappears into the dust. DEA agents come steamrolling in and unsurprisingly they’re a corrupt duo with a virulent strain of justice in mind, keeping Jim pinned to his lowly place as he tries to unravel the congestion of loose ends impeding his vision.
A crucial creative choice by screenwriters Neal Jimenez and Eric Bergren was to load up on a voiceover by Chee which works like an expository internal dialogue with himself. It’s a real point of contentiousness; does it work or hamper the increasingly convoluted story? At various times, I’d say both. It’s a strictly novelistic device and one put to effective use in many great films (Taxi Driver, Blade Runner); but overused it can certainly jeopardize credibility and detract from the unique ways in which cinema holds sway over literature.
The film’s title is derived from a Navajo belief that a man who commits evil does so because a dark wind has blown through his soul. Morris’s direction is solid but the fact that he’s never visited the medium again may suggest he considered the film a failed venture. It certainly keeps your attention even if it never becomes anywhere close to compelling. The unique mystical and cultural dimensions of the story are respectfully portrayed; if nothing else they provide a rich vein to probe as the familiar trappings of crime and corruption are assembled around them.
Diamond Phillips gives a quiet, composed performance as the humble, sympathetic Chee. He may be a newcomer to these parts but is under no illusions about the significance of his appointment. As a Navajo he’s expected to tow the line whilst providing quick solutions to crimes related to his people. It's just that from his vantage point he can’t guess at the depth of the conspiracy blurring the borders of his investigation and putting him in imminent danger.
The support cast has negligible impact, though Gary Farmer as a Hopi detective who Chee turns to for help deserves a special mention. Fred Ward is sadly wasted as Chee's superior, appearing to little effect in scenes here and there.
The film’s final showdown, on what appears an elaborate set, is a little contrived, though it has atmosphere to burn thanks to the pyrotechnics of an incessant light show acting as lightning strikes and the percussive, rhythmic insistence of Michel Colombier’s exotic score. But these are ultimately undermined by failings in the screenplay which allow characters to conform more to stereotypes rather than evolve in interesting ways once the truth is flushed out and true motivations disclosed.
Though Morris has continued to evolve as a documentarian, garnering prestigious awards along the way, The Dark Wind remains an interesting failure buried deep in his past. It's well worth looking into for fans of the director despite a low-key approach which ultimately works against it.
The Dark Wind is now out on DVD from Madman.
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Comment by Matt Shea
As for an overarching voice-over: I hear you brother - does my head in.
Comment by David O'Connell
20/20 Filmsight
Screen Fanatic
Lou Diamond Phillips was pretty big at the time and I don't mind him as an actor. I think plenty of people would find his voiceover irritating though - there is a lot of it!