By: debbie lynn elias
With the opening frame of celluloid, I was immediately drawn to THE YELLOW HANDKERCHIEF thanks to the elegant beauty of the cinematography before me. Spellbinding, I visually plunged headfirst into the willows, wetlands and marshes of the deep South, the crystalline clarity of the world after the raging violence of a heat induced thunderstorm, and the intricately interwoven character study and story of love, loss, redemption and second chances that parallel nature’s own mysteries and wonders. On learning the visual imagery capturing my attention was the work of cinematographer Chris Menges, I was not surprised at the hypnotic cinematographic appeal as Menges is one of the finest technical artisans in the business. Adding to this was the fact that THE YELLOW HANDKERCHIEF is based on a beautiful short story by the acclaimed Pete Hamill and stars William Hurt and Maria Bello.
Brett Hanson has spent the last six years hidden away deep in the heart of Louisiana in a maximum security prison, serving out his sentence for manslaughter. During his imprisonment a lot has changed in the world, most notably, Hurricane Katrina, causing physical destruction that seems to mimic Hanson’s own emotional minefield. Impoverished throughout his life, Hanson was always the one left behind or forgotten. Uneducated, he made his way into adulthood working on oil rigs before ultimately finding love with a woman named May. Closed off from the world and the life and love he left behind, on his release from prison, he is like a fish out of water, trying to find his way back home – if he even has a home. Alone with his thoughts and inner demons, Brett soon meets up with Martine and Gordy. 15 year old Martine, a lost soul herself, is running away from an unhappy home life. Coming into her own and realizing the power of her teenaged sexuality, she is looking for love in all the wrong places. Stumbling onto Gordy, Martine sees him as her escape to the unknown. And Gordy, a handsome young drifter with a bright shiny car who questions his own worth as a human being, is himself searching for acceptance and love, often through the lens of a disposable camera.
Crossing paths, Brett soon finds himself hooked up with these two youngsters. Feeling both lost and his own loss, Brett starts to find a renewed sense of self-worth as he falls into the role of father figure, friend and confidante providing encouragement and guidance to Martine and Gordy. In what becomes a truly co-dependent triumvirate, Brett begins to deal with the realities of his past and the haunting memories of his beloved May with whom he hopes to reunite now that he is a free man. Spurred on by the very forces of nature itself, this once solitary and lonely man, comes ever closer to a second chance at happiness as in an almost cathartic move, he trepidatiously opens up to Martine and Gordy, sharing his hope for a future with May, a hope that will only be answered by the sight of a yellow handkerchief hanging outside the front door of the place he once called home.
William Hurt is magnificent as Brett Hanson. Working out and bulking up in order to physically transform into Hanson, Hurt is meticulous and methodical in his performance. Mandating emotional authenticity for the role, Hurt extensively researched the character, including spending ten days on the grounds of the maximum security prison in Angola, Louisiana talking to inmates and ex-convicts, as well as spending one night in maximum security incarceration. A departure from his usual upper middle class roles, Hurt brings an unspoken power to the poor downtrodden Hanson that is emotionally uplifting to watch.
Reuniting with Hurt is my fellow Norristownian, Maria Bello. Anyone familiar with my reviews knows of my respect for Bello and her gifted performances (just check her out in “Downloading Nancy”) and here as May, she is no different. Exuding her trademark tacit strength, Bello appears primarily through flashbacks, establishing the much needed backstory to support the emotional gravitas of Hurt’s performance as Hanson. Emotionally textured, Bello’s facial expressiveness is richly compelling and enhanced by Menges’ cinematography.
Rounding out the ensemble are Kristen Stewart and Eddie Redmayne. As Martine, this is by far the strongest and most intriguing performance we have seen from Stewart in a long time. Recommended to producer Arthur Cohn by Jodie Foster, Stewart gives life to Martine balancing the uncertain naivete of a child against the angst of a pubescent teen. And Eddie Redmayne! Cambridge educated and British, Redmayne is probably the last person one would think of as Gordy, but in he comes, speaking with a Lousiana accent and acting all Southern-poor, with such believability one would have thought he was born and bred in the bayou. The chemistry between Stewart and Redmayne is also interesting to watch set against the ever changing tides of nature.
Written by Erin Dignam based on the 1971 short story by Pete Hamill, the script stays relative true in theory to the elements of Hamill’s work, yet Dignam creates as a very lyric narrative style that is celebrated through the strength of Chris Menges stunning imagery. The dynamic amongst the characters of Hanson, Martine and Gordy is fluid and interactive. A common thread is a permeating sadness that slowly gives way to hope. Believing that less is more, Dignam retains the simplicity of the story, letting the performances and visuals propel the film.
Directed by Udayan Pasad who brought us the fun-filled “Opa!” with Matthew Modine , the story dramatically unfolds through Hanson’s memories, creating a heartwrenching tension, but always revealing just little bits and pieces of the characters at a time, causing emotional mystery. Working hand in hand with cinematographer Menges, the two create a sense of time and space through variant lenses and lighting. Key to the progression of the story is the poetry of Louisiana itself (43 different locations) and particularly, the weather, which was interwoven and paralleled with each character’s emotions creating unspoken mood. Little details, like the use of red and yellow, also add elements to the story structure and character definition.
Be they red, white, blue, pink or green, make sure you bring plenty of your own handkerchiefs to THE YELLOW HANDKERCHIEF, a story of love, loss, life and second chances.
Brett Hanson – William Hurt
May – Maria Bello
Martine – Kristen Stewart
