*spoilers*
I've never been a fan of films about Vietnam veterans but this, perhaps the strangest of them all, is the one true exception. I caught it late one night in the mid-80's when a family game of Monopoly had gone on longer than intended. I was no more than 10 at the time but recognised the films beauty even then. I just loved the sincerity and subtlety behind it all, I loved the cinematography and there was something quaintly magical about fixing a merry-go-round as opposed to anything else that I could imagine.
To worry about Carradine's character stooping to the levels that he previously scorned by agreeing to fight the dog is to miss the point, because, despite the simplicity of plot, this is a very deep film. It never really explains itself but neither does it make any apologies for neglecting to do so. For instance a previous reviewer is correct to wonder what exactly Barbara Hershey's contribution is. It could be any of those that he suggests. The film is loaded with these vagaries. Indicative of this is that the names of the two main characters are never revealed. There's the suspicion that Mike the garageman may be homosexual and we find out that Carradine is suffering some sort of 'condition' but we never find out what that 'condition' is. There also seems to be a strange foreshadowing of events. The dream at the beginning summarises the entire movie and there seems to be a dog either seen or heard in every single scene, almost prophesising the conclusion. The biggest curiosity, of course, is the motivation behind the central characters renovation of the derelict merry-go-round. Again, one person's guess is as good as the others although I favour the explanation of the DVD liner notes: it "looks as lonely and wounded as he feels". As for killing the dog in return for the essential carousel part, well, it's time to use your imagination again and that, my friends, really is one of the great things about the film. The problem viewers have with this scene is more their own problem rather than the movies because it proves how blinded they've become by the type of comfortable linear characterisation so overused in the movie world, particularly with regards to romantic heroes. Humans are ultimately complex beings who can often rationalise performing the very deeds that they themselves show contempt for. So yeah, the drifter may have done it just to save a lot of hassle, alternatively he may have done it to prove that Vietnam has not stopped him fighting for what he believes in. Or he might have done it for some other reason entirely. Crucially though, it's obvious when he's fighting the dog that he's doing so against his will - he even carries it to its resting place afterwards - but, regardless of his motives, he comes out of it more honourable in the eyes of the townspeople having done so. It appears that it was something he needed to do; otherwise he would have remained scarred even when the merry-go-round was back in full working order. As he staggers out of town exhausted, his work done, you feel deeply for him and you wonder what exactly the future holds for him, a mood made all the more poignant by Carradine's own alluring theme tune playing in the background.
By now you'll probably realise that this film is as satisfying to write and think about as it is to watch. Channel 4 here in the UK may show a lot of weird stuff that often fails to satisfy but every now and again it's the one place that you'll stumble across a real forgotten gem of which Americana is the perfect example. It's certainly not perfect, being a little bit slow in places, but it definitely is unique and it's not surprising that it has its own little cult band of admirers. Loads of films make perfect sense, only an occasional one offers something very different so even if you don't like this then you should at least accept that it's interesting enough to justify its existence. For me it is the type of film that at some point deserves a reappraisal on the same scale as has recently been bestowed upon The Wicker Man.
I've never been a fan of films about Vietnam veterans but this, perhaps the strangest of them all, is the one true exception. I caught it late one night in the mid-80's when a family game of Monopoly had gone on longer than intended. I was no more than 10 at the time but recognised the films beauty even then. I just loved the sincerity and subtlety behind it all, I loved the cinematography and there was something quaintly magical about fixing a merry-go-round as opposed to anything else that I could imagine.
To worry about Carradine's character stooping to the levels that he previously scorned by agreeing to fight the dog is to miss the point, because, despite the simplicity of plot, this is a very deep film. It never really explains itself but neither does it make any apologies for neglecting to do so. For instance a previous reviewer is correct to wonder what exactly Barbara Hershey's contribution is. It could be any of those that he suggests. The film is loaded with these vagaries. Indicative of this is that the names of the two main characters are never revealed. There's the suspicion that Mike the garageman may be homosexual and we find out that Carradine is suffering some sort of 'condition' but we never find out what that 'condition' is. There also seems to be a strange foreshadowing of events. The dream at the beginning summarises the entire movie and there seems to be a dog either seen or heard in every single scene, almost prophesising the conclusion. The biggest curiosity, of course, is the motivation behind the central characters renovation of the derelict merry-go-round. Again, one person's guess is as good as the others although I favour the explanation of the DVD liner notes: it "looks as lonely and wounded as he feels". As for killing the dog in return for the essential carousel part, well, it's time to use your imagination again and that, my friends, really is one of the great things about the film. The problem viewers have with this scene is more their own problem rather than the movies because it proves how blinded they've become by the type of comfortable linear characterisation so overused in the movie world, particularly with regards to romantic heroes. Humans are ultimately complex beings who can often rationalise performing the very deeds that they themselves show contempt for. So yeah, the drifter may have done it just to save a lot of hassle, alternatively he may have done it to prove that Vietnam has not stopped him fighting for what he believes in. Or he might have done it for some other reason entirely. Crucially though, it's obvious when he's fighting the dog that he's doing so against his will - he even carries it to its resting place afterwards - but, regardless of his motives, he comes out of it more honourable in the eyes of the townspeople having done so. It appears that it was something he needed to do; otherwise he would have remained scarred even when the merry-go-round was back in full working order. As he staggers out of town exhausted, his work done, you feel deeply for him and you wonder what exactly the future holds for him, a mood made all the more poignant by Carradine's own alluring theme tune playing in the background.
By now you'll probably realise that this film is as satisfying to write and think about as it is to watch. Channel 4 here in the UK may show a lot of weird stuff that often fails to satisfy but every now and again it's the one place that you'll stumble across a real forgotten gem of which Americana is the perfect example. It's certainly not perfect, being a little bit slow in places, but it definitely is unique and it's not surprising that it has its own little cult band of admirers. Loads of films make perfect sense, only an occasional one offers something very different so even if you don't like this then you should at least accept that it's interesting enough to justify its existence. For me it is the type of film that at some point deserves a reappraisal on the same scale as has recently been bestowed upon The Wicker Man.