"Wrong-Eyed Jesus": Musical odyssey in grits country
Down South, some folks call duct tape "Alabama Chrome," since there's no reason (and no money) to pay insurance or high-priced mechanics.
That hard-scrabble problem solving, and a lot of God-fearin' Pentecostal fervor, is on rapturous display in "Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus," a Deep-South road trip in which British photographer Andrew Douglas and alt-country musician Jim White join forces to create a portrait of rural America as beautiful as it is bizarre.
Forget your red-state rhetoric; President Bush would be a clueless alien among the struggling, spiritual folks of Louisiana, Kentucky and Virginia who populate this unforgettable film, co-winner of the Refracting Reality Documentary Award at the 2004 Seattle International Film Festival.
On the other hand, White — whose 1997 debut CD, "Wrong-Eyed Jesus," made him an overnight sensation on the "sadcore" music scene — fits right in with his rented 1970 Impala rust bucket, from which he narrates an ethno-musical odyssey that may, in the long run, prove as priceless as anything Alan Lomax ever recorded.
There's not much structure to Douglas and White's hillbilly tour of "junkyard roads," where White and other musicians (The Handsome Family, Lee Sexton, Johnny Dowd and others) provide haunting accompaniment to school-bus graveyards, catfish diners and many other roadside attractions. But what fun is a road trip without random spontaneity? Do yourself a favor: hop in and savor the ride.
Note: White will appear at tonight's 7:30 showing at Northwest Film Forum.
— Jeff Shannon, Special to The Seattle Times
"Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus" with Jim White. Directed and photographed by Andrew Douglas. 82 minutes. Not rated; contains mild profanity. Northwest Film Forum, through Aug. 25 (no show Aug. 20). Jim White in attendance tonight only.