White Lightnin'

Dominic Murphy – 2009 – England

Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, this very low-budget oddity starts weakly but surprisingly picks up steam in its second act.  Purporting to tell the story of legendary mountain dancer and criminal Jesco White – (already profiled in a handful of documentaries), the film heavily fictionalizes his story to turn him into something of a deranged folk hero, leaving reality in the dust.  Though set in Appalachian country in the United States, the film is actually a British production that was mostly shot in Croatia.  (Shown in stark black-and-white, the locations are convincing and would have fooled me well enough if it weren’t for stray bit players here and there speaking in an obvious eastern European accent.)  Starting with White’s almost feral childhood, the film progresses to episodes in adulthood involving his commitment to a mental hospital, serious bouts of schizophrenia, a volatile marriage, and a fairly successful though minor career as a dancer in bars.  Adding to the overall strangeness is the presence of Carrie Fisher in her most challenging role since who-knows-when as White’s much older wife.  All of this is just okay on its own, but what really makes the film is the performance of Edward Hogg as White.  It’s one of those complete and crazed pieces of work that makes you forget everything else as you simply marvel at its intensity.  His portrayal is alternately animalistic and poignant, and would almost certainly have been a star-making performance in a more mainstream film.