ebethgrace

This film succeeds in capturing the intensity and the realism that Bierce portrays in his writings. This isn't a typical war film, or even a standard civil war film. Instead it is more layered. The connections to Bierce's writings are overt, but if you aren't familiar with them, it might put you at a disadvantage.

The best part about this film is that it ISN'T a standard bloody war film, nor does glorify war. It is both lyrical and stark. The Direction is fluid and deft and authentic to the era. Campbell Scott carries the Bierce role with real dignity.

This is not intended to be a "Hollywood" film. It mines from a literary figure and his work to create vision of one era from a slice of literary history.

Bix was filmed almost entirely on location in Davenport in 1991. The filmmakers, Pupi and Antonio Avati, are huge fans of Beiderbecke's music, and came to Iowa to make Pupi's dream film about Bix's life. The brothers even bought the family home in Davenport and owned it for many years after the filming. I am not sure about the status of the home now.

Most of the actors were cast from an open, cattle-call audition in the Quad-City area. A few exceptions included Bryant Weeks, who was a professional stage actor in Chicago at the time. I haven't seen him since. That might explain why most of the cast is uncredited. The Avatis wanted to use real people from the town where they were making the film. Because of the way credits work in Italian films, most of them did not receive a credit.

The film was edited oddly. It jumped around a great deal through Bix's life, making it difficult to understand the chronological details. However, Weeks delivers a gentle performance and the cinematography is beautiful. The sentimentality, paired with original scores of Bix's music, makes it worth seeing.

I have one good line in it too..