(1991 dir. Gus Van Sant) 3rd Viewing: April 22 2009
One of the most haunting explorations of alienation and disaffected youth ever committed to film. The structure of the screenplay is one of the more ambitious things I've seen as well. It slips between a modernized Henry IV and the story of homeless street hustlers in waves; mirroring the narcoleptic fits its protagonist suffers from. Bouncing between a dream state and lucid consciousness at the drop of a hat.
I've always wondered if the Shakespeare segments in this influenced Baz Luhrmann on some level to do his ultra-stylized '96 update of ROMEO AND JULIET. River Phoenix really brought a human warmth to his emotionally wounded character "Mikey" that I think very few young actors his age could have. It's the best male performance of 1991 in my opinion.
Anyways, MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO remains my favourite instalment of Van Sant's Portland Oregon trilogy that began with MALA NOCHE (1986) and DRUGSTORE COWBOY (1989). And still his greatest and most personal film.
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