Hey, alright. One of the few Crews' novels still in print, unfortunately. & not one I see recommended very often, though it holds a high, unexampled spot in the cannon of American letters (70s). The book can't run much more than a hundred pages, but those who know it know there'll never be another Feast. I burn through it every few years for the scandalized wonderment it induces. If Hieronymus Bosch had been an alcoholic sharecropper from Georgia, etc.
The Crews book is my favourite of his ... though it's not one you should recommend lightly. I was asked by a (former) colleague a couple of years ago for a recommendation re Southern American lit - more or less contemporary, not Faulkner, etc. So I suggested Feast of Snakes - she never came back for another. Which, I think, proves the book is perfect.
Fantastic film. I love all the Christ-like imagery from the many appearances of 3 and 7, the last supper of rice, laying in the crucifixion position on the table after eating all the eggs and many more.
I agree - it's so heavy on the imagery it's almost epiphanic! I also like the crossroads at the very end - once Luke's been killed and Dragline's back on the chain gang - when the camera soars above and shows the crossroad ... I think Luke's photo is superimposed, too. Can't really imagine a legit Hollywood film being made like that today.
Thanks, Mark - Very glad you liked the article. It's a brilliant film - I used to show it in a 'film as literature' section of a high school class. They seemed to like it, but it dragged a bit for their attention span. Excellent scenes, great cinematography - and some seriously good acting. Enjoy - and let me know what you think once you've seen it.
Hey, alright. One of the few Crews' novels still in print, unfortunately. & not one I see recommended very often, though it holds a high, unexampled spot in the cannon of American letters (70s). The book can't run much more than a hundred pages, but those who know it know there'll never be another Feast. I burn through it every few years for the scandalized wonderment it induces. If Hieronymus Bosch had been an alcoholic sharecropper from Georgia, etc.
The Crews book is my favourite of his ... though it's not one you should recommend lightly. I was asked by a (former) colleague a couple of years ago for a recommendation re Southern American lit - more or less contemporary, not Faulkner, etc. So I suggested Feast of Snakes - she never came back for another. Which, I think, proves the book is perfect.
A staggering achievement.
Fantastic film. I love all the Christ-like imagery from the many appearances of 3 and 7, the last supper of rice, laying in the crucifixion position on the table after eating all the eggs and many more.
I agree - it's so heavy on the imagery it's almost epiphanic! I also like the crossroads at the very end - once Luke's been killed and Dragline's back on the chain gang - when the camera soars above and shows the crossroad ... I think Luke's photo is superimposed, too. Can't really imagine a legit Hollywood film being made like that today.
Now I need to watch it again to see the ending through a new lens!
Strangely enough, I've never seen "Cool Hand Luke". It is on my 'to-watch' list, though. Great article!
Thanks, Mark - Very glad you liked the article. It's a brilliant film - I used to show it in a 'film as literature' section of a high school class. They seemed to like it, but it dragged a bit for their attention span. Excellent scenes, great cinematography - and some seriously good acting. Enjoy - and let me know what you think once you've seen it.