Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed in this review are solely those of Marlon Wallace and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of WBOC.
James Lee Burke is a 85-year-old author who has written nearly two dozen books about a homicide detective named Dave Robicheaux. His book series was successful enough that Hollywood has made two films based on those books. The first was Heaven’s Prisoners (1996), starring Alec Baldwin. The second was In the Electric Mist (2009), starring Tommy Lee Jones. One of his other works has also been adapted for television. His works are centered on people and places along the Gulf coast, either Texas, his home state, or the neighboring Louisiana. In fact, 20 years ago, Burke received a special award from Louisiana for how well his writing has spotlighted the Pelican State. Burke’s Jesus Out to Sea (2007) is a collection of ten, short stories about the devastation and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which hit Louisiana in August 2005 and caused billions in damage and killed thousands of people.
“Winter Light” is one of those ten, short stories. It’s about a retired, college professor from Louisiana who now lives in an unnamed state but whose log house is at the head of a canyon, next to a forest and in an area that gets a good amount of snow and ice in December. Director and co-writer, Julian Higgins has taken the basic premise from that short story and made some changes, expanding it and incorporating themes from Burke’s book overall. One of the changes is that Burke’s story was centered on a White, male retiree. Higgins has gender-swapped and race-swapped the protagonist.
Thandiwe Newton appears in God's Country by Julian Higgins, an official selection of the Premieres section at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute. All photos are copyrighted and may be used by press only for the purpose of news or editorial coverage of Sundance Institute programs. Photos must be accompanied by a credit to the photographer and/or 'Courtesy of Sundance Institute.' Unauthorized use, alteration, reproduction or sale of logos and/or photos is strictly prohibited.
Thandiwe Newton (Westworld and ER) stars as Cassandra Guidry aka “Sandra.” She seems biracial but she probably identifies as a Black woman. She’s a professor at the nearby university, but she’s not retired. She’s still teaching. The protagonist’s identity has been reversed in almost every way, but the essential conflict is still the same, being the grappling with the loneliness and isolation, as well as how the tensions from even minor slights can escalate in that lonely and isolated figure’s mind. In Burke’s story, the protagonist was dealing with a divorce that felt rather recent. Here, Sandra is dealing with the death of her mother for whom Sandra was nursing in her home.
In Burke’s story, the protagonist was only a college professor and nothing else. Here, Sandra only became a teacher after she left Louisiana, specifically New Orleans, after Hurricane Katrina. I’m not sure if this is a back story that Higgins pulled from another story in Jesus Out to Sea, but it certainly is in line with the themes in Burke’s book overall. Plus, it enriches this character and explains why making her a Black person is appropriate and more relevant, considering where Higgins takes this story.
Jeremy Bobb (Russian Doll and The Knick) co-stars as Gus Wolf, the deputy sheriff who is one of only a couple of law enforcement officers in this area. When two, local hunters make Sandra feel threatened, she calls Gus for help. He comes across as dismissive and possibly bigoted, but there’s something a bit more layered there. As Sandra comes to learn, it’s difficult for him because it becomes apparent that if any trouble breaks out, he’s out-manned and out-gunned, given this rural area is populated with men who are probably armed to the teeth with rifles and shotguns, as well as other forms of weapons.
This suggests a kind of lawlessness that exists in this area. Many people criticize cities or urban areas as being places of lawlessness, but this film, as Burke’s story, clearly shows that lawlessness can exist in rural and predominantly White areas or towns in so-called Middle America. Through an interaction with Gus, it’s revealed that many of the White men in this area have no respect for law enforcement. People of one particular political party always tout that they’re the political party that’s for “law and order” and that touts “Blue Lives Matter.” However, this film demonstrates how the people who might be associated with that political party have even less regard for police and law enforcement, as anyone on the so-called far left.
Joris Jarsky (The Little Things and Saw V) plays Nathan, one of the local hunters who drives his red truck with his brother, Samuel, played by Jefferson White (Yellowstone and How To Get Away With Murder), to the forest next to where Sandra lives. Nathan and his brother run afoul of Sandra when he parks his truck on Sandra’s property without her permission. The film doesn’t really demarcate properly where Sandra’s property begins and ends. Burke’s story underlines the fact that the protagonist has signs up that read “Private Road” and “No Trespassing,” but Higgins’ film doesn’t show us that signage.
Sandra does make it clear that she doesn’t want them parking on her property, but I think that Higgins does with Nathan what Burke didn’t really do in the book. Higgins tries to show Nathan isn’t just some racist redneck who only cares about hunting. Yes, Nathan and Samuel are two of the antagonists or villains of this narrative, but Higgins does show that there are more to them. They’re not just evil. If anything, Higgins shows that these men, particularly Samuel, might have more in common with people of color living it cities than even Samuel might think. Inner-city, Black people have been dealing with the issue of Black Lives Matter, which involve unarmed Black men being shot by police. Higgins’ film doesn’t delve too deeply into it, but, a scene with Samuel involves an incident that would allow him to relate.
Kai Lennox (The Girl From Plainville and Unbelievable) rounds out the cast as Arthur, a fellow college professor who works at the same university as Sandra. He possibly runs her department or also works as a dean at the school. She has meetings with Arthur and other professors at the school because they’re trying to find applicants to hire at the university. In the few scenes with Arthur, we get glimpses into various issues that occur at universities and in other institutions. Those issues include racism, sexism and the Me Too movement. Those issues are addressed briefly but potently here. Lennox’s performance opposite Newton’s is incredible.
What’s fascinating is that this film is for the most part a thriller where this woman struggles or battles these very problematic men. There is an indication that the film could turn into something akin to Straw Dogs (1971). However, it ceases being a thriller for a significant chunk in order to be a drama about a woman confronting discrimination and even abuses in her educational institution. I really began to appreciate the film more for those aspects. It made the thriller aspects feel overblown and almost inconsequential. Basically, when Sandra is dealing with Arthur and the stuff at her school, that’s where the film really shines. Unfortunately, the film goes back to the thriller aspects or Sandra dealing with Nathan and Samuel. Yet, Higgins’ direction here is so strong overall that the film still works.
Rated R for language.
Running Time: 1 hr. and 42 mins.
In theaters.
