Made in '61, 'The Exiles' is finally released
By Phil Villarreal
Pvillarreal@azstarnet.com
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 10.16.2008
"The Exiles," made in 1961 but just now being released in theaters, is a true time capsule. But that's not necessarily praise.
Like "Killer of Sheep" (1977), another lost film that was rediscovered and made the arthouse rounds last year, the drama is more fascinating to research and deconstruct than sit through.
Writer/director Kent MacKenzie, who died in 1980, spent several months with American Indians living in the Bunker Hill area of downtown Los Angeles. He filmed his story sans screenplay, with non-actors basically playing themselves, supplementing the documentary-style footage with staged shots.
The film follows a social circle of American Indians who migrated off reservations to live in the city. All are poor, many are alcoholic and a general sense of despair hangs over their every action.
The timespan is one long night, as the gang cruises the street, bounces from bars to curbside rendezvous and an impromptu pow wow in the hills. It's only one night with these people, but in a sense it's their entire lives.
Much of the movie shows the characters just standing around, doing nothing. They've fallen through a socialogical trap door that isolates them from the culture they left behind as well as the one they try to join.
The thing about bored and hopeless people is they're not so entertaining. "The Exiles" is too dry and reserved. Which is probably why the movie was forgotten for so long.
The film played some festivals but never made it to theatrical release. Until now. Writer and filmmaker Sherman Alexie ("Smoke Signals") is presenting the movie, which is distributed by Milestone Film & Video.
But just because a movie was lost and found doesn't mean it's worth your $8.75.
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