Postcards from America

Starring:James Lyons, Michael Tighe, Olmo Tighe, Michael Imperioli, Michael Ringer, Maggie Low, John Ventimiglia, David Strickland, Brad Hunt, Jason Emard, Joe Marshall, Jeffrey Steele, Paul Germaine-Brown, Dick Callahan, Dennis Carrig, John Corrigan, Steven Mark Friedman, Les 'Linda' Simpson, Dean 'Sissy Fit' Novotny, Tom Gilroy
Director: Steve McLean
Studio: Strand Releasing
Product Type: DVD

Description

POST CARDS FROM AMERICA is Inspired by the work and writings of outspoken gay artist David Wojnarowicz, this film dramatizes three periods in his life: abused childhood, New York street hustler, and adult artist on the road, creating a powerful look at growing up gay in America. Contains graphic depictions of domestic violence and gay sex.

Customer Reviews:

An Extremely Interesting Failure.......2003-11-16

The artist David Wojnarowicz (1954-1992 was not exactly the sort of person you'd like to have drop in to meet mom: the product of an abusive home, he spent his teenage years working as a Time Square prostitute and much of his later life on the road, trading sex for a ride, for a meal, for nothing at all. Over time, he would begin to turn his extreme experiences into art: a series of writings, paintings, and sculptures that would eventually gain him a small but influential following. He came to national conciousness when the National Endowment for the Arts, under pressure from Senator Jessie Helms and Rev. Donald Wildemon, withdrew funding for an exhibition of his work--and instead of going quietly into night Wojnarowicz responded by suing Wildemon for copyright infringement and misrepresentation.

POSTCARDS FROM AMERICA is based on both Wojnarowicz's life and two autobiographical books he wrote: CLOSE TO THE KNIVES and MEMORIES THAT SMELL LIKE GASOLINE, both of which might best be described as a series of essays that sketch the horrors of his childhood, his sexual experiences as a prostitute and on the road, and his battle with AIDS. And like many art films, it has many good ideas; unfortunately, and also like many art films, it doesn't always know what to do with them.

The style of the film, directed and scripted by Steve McLean, tears a page from D.W. Griffith's silent masterpiece INTOLERANCE: instead of presenting us with a sequential biography, the film slips through time, mixing scenes of Wojnarowicz's childhood, his teenage years, and his later years on the road. In each case Wojnarowicz is played by a different actor at each stage of his life, and overall the effect is quite interesting and the performances are quite a bit better than you might expect. The cinematography by Ellen Kuras is also quite fine.

Where the film falls down is in the script, most of which is lifted word-for-word from Wojnarowicz's writing--which at its best explodes memorably in the ear. But director/writer McLean scripts the piece as a series of monologues, some done as voice-overs, some delivered directly to the camera. It would take a truly extraordinary ensemble to pull it off, but for all the directorial and acting gifts involved the overall feel that emerges is a mix of the static and the stagey. But the real failure of the film is its inability to convey the absolute fury that Wojnarowicz's writings possess and the sense of exploding anger that the best of his art conveys. Ultimately, Wojnarowicz emerges as a guy who had bad luck instead of a person who deliberately chose the adult life he led.

All of that said, it's rather difficult to know to whom this film is supposed to appeal. Obviously, the film has a strong gay element--and it is rife with same sex scenes, casual encounters in bathrooms, truck stops, a truly vicious rape that occurs when Wojnarowicz accepts a ride from a man in a van, all of which the character actually seems to take in stride as the "givens" of life. But individuals who live this particular lifestyle are unlikely to sit down and watch an art film about it, and for the rest of us--be we heterosexual or homosexual--it is off-putting to say the least.

That off-putting element might have been overcome by bringing us more deeply into Wojnarowicz as a person, but the film never really does this, and when it ends we are really left no wiser than we were before. I am tempted to give POSTCARDS FROM AMERICA three stars--but for all its failings it is in many respects a haunting film, filled with unexpected moments of visual beauty and a host of remarkable performances (especially from James Lyons, Michael Tighe, and Olmo Tighe, who play Wojnarowicz at the different stages of his life.) And so I'll be generous and give it four. But don't say I didn't warn you.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Ponderous.......2001-06-07

Well-meant portrayal of the life of David Wojnarowicz who died of AIDS as told through slow, poetic ruminations about his abusive father and early life as a street hustler. While sometimes very effective (and beautiful), the somber, disjointed style becomes a little too self-absorbed and overwhelms the brief, lighter moments of comedy and sex.

Average customer rating:

Depressing in every way

Postcards From America

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Product Description

Synopsis Inspired by the autobiographical writings of David Wojnarowicz, "Postcards From America" chronicles the abuse the artist suffered as a child at the hands of his father and his subsequent running away to New York to become a street hustler. Description Inspired by the work and writings of outspoken gay artist David Wojnarowicz, this film dramatizes three periods in his life: abused childhood, New York street hustler, and adult artist on the road, creating a powerful look at growing up gay in America. Contains graphic depictions of domestic violence and gay sex.

Customer Reviews:

Depressing in every way.......2004-03-22

Someone told me not to see this, but I foolishly didn't follow that advice. I admit that I didn't see any of Woj's work until years after this movie was released. Plus, I'm a softy and a memeber of the happy-ending-for-homosexuals club (that phrase was coined by Jill Johnston in the seminal work "Lesbian Nation"). The point being: this movie is tragic, sad, and depressing. This film talks about rape, attempted robbery, prostitution, violence, etc. Near the end of the film David struggles with AIDS and it's barely touched upon. Basically, right when he's about to find happiness, his life ends. (...) Still, this movie was not inspirational; it's just meant to be a downer. The title must be sarcastic: David is not a tourist who would happily relate his new experiences to a close confidante. This was just as creepy as the book "Gary in Your Pocket." The Far Right could have a Field Day with this movie.

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