The Indian Runner (1991)

I remember the first time I heard Bruce Springsteen's album, "Nebraska."  I recall being impressed by its spare nature and its minimalist compositions.  Consisting primarily of acoustic guitar, harmonica, and somber lyrics, its songs are in harmony with each other, seamlessly building upon a common theme.  The structure is simple, but the feelings it evokes are complex.  In particular I was affected by "Highway Patrolman," one of the great story-songs.  It tells the story of a (you guessed it) highway patrolman named Joe, who has a reckless brother, Frank.  Joe loves Frank, but Frank continually gets into trouble.  As many times as Joe tries to look out for Frank, or look the other way, Frank never learns his lesson, and things end in tragedy.

I remember thinking that "Highway Patrolman" had strong cinematic potential, and that it might be a great idea to try and adapt it into a screenplay one day.  I didn't realize it at the time, but Sean Penn had had the same idea years before.  He made his directorial debut in 1991 with The Indian Runner, a film inspired by the very same tune.  It is a film filled with powerful performances, stirring images, and unsettling moments.  However, it is marred by tonal inconsistencies, heavily handled messages, and a severe lack of humor.  This is forgiveable, as it is the work of a rookie director.  One does not become Stanley Kubrick overnight.

David Morse stars as Joe Roberts, the highway patrolman.  When we first meet him, Joe and his Mexican wife Maria (Valeria Golino), as well as his parents (Charles Bronson and Sandy Dennis), are eagerly awaiting his brother Frank's (Viggo Mortensen) return from Vietnam.  It is mentioned that Frank had attained a reputation as the town troublemaker before he went overseas, but this is little preparation for the bundle of psychotic fury we as an audience will soon be exposed to.  When he first see him, Frank looks like a hero, well dressed in his military dress uniform.  We will soon learn he is anything but.

After a brief reunion, Frank informs Joe that he has no intention of seeing their parents, and that he only wanted to see him, his wife, and infant child.  Then, after an extended absence, Joe is contacted by Frank's girlfriend Dorothy (Patricia Arquette), to let him know that Frank is in jail after getting in a barfight.  It isn't until the passing of both of their parents that Frank comes home, pledging to reform his evil ways, and settle into a meaningful life.  Blinded by love, Joe lets Frank and the now pregnant Dorothy move into his house.  Frank gets a job working construction, marries Dorothy, and everything appears to be hunky-dory, right?

Wrong.

I am not giving anything away by saying this.  Frank's demons are never far away, and by the time the film gets around to Frank settling into the small-town life, we have already seen enough of his aberrant behavior to know he is unquestionably doomed.  This was an early role for Viggo Mortensen, and having seen many of his more recent films in which he plays mostly stoic, mild-mannered characters, I was flabbergasted by the violence and rage he was able to summon for this role.  It is truly an unforgettable performance.  And even though Mortensen is the film's greatest strength, the way the part is written is certainly part of the film's downfall.  Though we see flashes of a charismatic human being, the character is almost intensely unlikable.  In the Springsteen song, much is left to the imagination.  Frank is described as "no good", but we are not specifically aware of why.  I, for one, imagined Frank as good-hearted, yet fatally flawed.  Of course Penn as a director has a larger canvas to fill, but the Frank we see on screen is vicious and mean, beyond redemption from the outset.

Then there is the business of the title.  The opening scenes depict Native Americans on a hunt.  Voice over narration informs us that the Indian runner would chase his prey into submission, and then extract its essence by inhaling its final breath.  Okay, but this really has nothing to do with the rest of the film.  Sure, it is referenced throughout by means of some nonsensical dialogue and disturbing imagery that would be more at home in a horror movie, but thematically it is less relevant than it is murkily pretentious.

While this review may seem a bit scathing, I actually did enjoy The Indian Runner.  I would even recommend seeing it.  The film is dedicated to Hal Ashby and John Cassavetes, and indeed it is reminiscent of the cinema of the early 1970's in its sensibilities.  I was reminded of the work of Nicolas Roeg.  I appreciate the fact that Penn patiently allows scenes to unfold rather than the breathless editing typical of more modern films.

Penn also populates his canvas with exceedingly bizarre bit characters, very much in the style of David Lynch.   Among them are a bearded lady, an obese woman in an Elvis shirt who Frank ruthlessly humiliates, and an old man who observes said humiliation with what can only be described as immense enjoyment.  Minute details such as this give the film a color all its own, and help cut the relentless grimness of the rest of the proceedings. The central performances are strong as well.  The role of Joe is not as flashy as that of Frank, but is the anchor of the film, and David Morse exudes reservoirs of patience and strength as the rock of the family.  Though laconic, Morse is not dull, and we can feel the intensity and feeling behind his stony face.  We know it is a mask he puts on because he needs to be strong for those around him.  In a smaller role, it is nice to see Charles Bronson not tracking down and killing thugs in another mindless revenge fantasy.  It is sad to think how much better his career would have been had he been in more character driven pieces.  Patricia Arquette is suitably kooky as the only woman who could ever stand by Frank Roberts.  Valeria Golino is solid, but is given little to do in the thankless role of the wife.  Dennis Hopper plays Dennis Hopper, this time in the form of a bartender.  Look for Benicio Del Toro in one of his first roles, albeit a small one.

It is important to remember, looking back, that at the time Sean Penn was best known as a supremely talented yet troubled young actor. Career highlights included Fast Times at Ridgmont High (1982), Bad Boys (1983), and Colors (1988), among others.  His volatile relationship with Madonna was much publicized in tabloids at the time.  Considering the amount of praise that had already been heaped upon Penn as an actor, it is not all too surprising that he took himself so seriously right off the bat as a director.  Much has been made of the possibility that the two brothers represent the two sides of Penn's personality, and while this may be true, it is also an apt way to evaluate the dual nature of the film.  When Springsteen made "Nebraska", he was peaking as an artist, and as a result it was a consistent and polished effort.  The Indian Runner, by contrast, is an earnest yet overwrought first attempt at directing.  Ultimately it is well meaning like Joe, and flawed like Frank.

Grade:  B-