7/2/07: Americana (1983)If we had our act together, this would’ve been the Memorial Day entry and we would've saved
Uncle Sam for the Fourth of July. Add that to our long list of bad moves as we approach our first anniversary. Anyway,
Americana is one of the best independent films of the 1980s. It’s also one of the best independent films of the 1970s, since David Carradine began shooting the thing back in 1973.
That means you’ve got David Carradine directing and starring in a film that’s ten years in the making, but only covers a span of a few months. It’s a good thing that he didn’t age too much during that time. Sadly,
Americana didn’t get nearly enough attention as an old hippie’s dream of the Reagan revolution. It probably would’ve been treated even worse if released in 1974.
The film’s plot is certainly simple enough. Carradine is one of those Vietnam vets out wandering the country just as other screenwriters imagined in lesser films. Carradine—whose character is only known as The American Soldier—strolls past a crossroads in a particularly desolate town where a carousel has fallen into disrepair. There’s a gas station on one corner and a little store on the other. That’s enough to convince the American Soldier that he can rebuild the carousel—and, you know, perhaps himself.
What makes
Americana so interesting is what the plot avoids. The American Soldier doesn’t have to face down intolerant heartlanders who are overly suspicious of the longhair who still proudly sports his military uniform. Nor is the American Soldier some kind of saintly figure who’s as symbolic as his iconic billing. He’s a regular guy whose biggest secret turns out to be a reluctance to pick up a check that Uncle Sam owes him.
The villains in
Americana are creeps with long hair and a penchant for vandalism. They’re too dull to be full of hatred, but they resent The American Soldier for the values he represents and the lost innocent pleasure that he’s trying to restore. Barbara Hershey shows up as a beautiful supportive presence, but we’re never sure if she’s mysterious or retarded.
The American Soldier doesn’t get any help from the townsfolk. They all seem more shell-shocked from the ’60s than our hero is from the war. The local cop is a fine example of a formerly important local institution that’s devolved into a government clerk. The American Soldier isn’t asking for anything, anyway. He quietly perseveres with the occasional help of the former biker who runs that garage.
Even that goes sour once The American Soldier rejects the local pastime of cockfighting. The garage owner takes that as a personal affront. The American Soldier deals with that particular setback by finally picking up his old military pay. This allows him to finally get the carousel looking as good as new. Too bad that the garage owner still has a vital part that’s needed to get the carousel running.
SPOILER: The garage owner won’t take money for the needed part. Instead, he insists that The American Soldier fight for it. Specifically, The American Soldier has to fight a junkyard dog out in the cockfighting field. He agrees to this insanity. The American Soldier, it seems, has come to understand the legacy of the ’60s. The love is gone and the anything-goes immorality has come to even the smallest town. No surprise there. He’s already been betrayed by a heartland that got suckered by Walter Cronkite.
There’s a pretty big crowd when The American Soldier goes out into the yard. He kills the dog and picks up the needed part. He keeps the dog around his shoulders. He carries the dog across the road to the carousel, put the canine corpse on one of its benches, and gets the ancient machinery running. The lilting music brings in the townspeople—including all those who witnessed the tawdry spectacle of man-against-dog.
They gather around, get on the carousel, and try to ignore the dead dog. The American Soldier is already walking down the road. He isn’t looking back. He knows better than to expect any thanks. The people he fought for can enjoy their American splendor. They can also clean up their own mess this time.
END SPOILER
Americana got some slight attention when it finally limped out on home video. Most of the coverage was about crazy old David Carradine taking a decade to complete a film. The cinematic greatness—which is worthy of directors such as Monte Hellman and David Lynch—has gone ignored. Those who first rented the video, however, certainly weren’t surprised when Carradine showed up draped in an American flag and killing godless Commies in 1986’s
P.O.W.: The Escape. Carousel music would’ve sounded cool in that one.
Make it your own: Americana still can’t get respect. The usually fine Rhino label put out
a crappy DVD with lousy sound and no extras. That’s especially shameful due to the fine quality of Carradine’s film score. The closing tune is really great. Like most fans of the film, we’ve held on to our VHS release—which is why
a used tape is more expensive than the DVD.
