Sling Blade - On a knife edge

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Movie
German title Sling Blade - On a knife edge
Original title Sling blade
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1996
length 136 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Billy Bob Thornton
script Billy Bob Thornton
production David L. Bushell
Brandon Rosser
music Daniel Lanois
camera Barry Markowitz
cut Hughes Winborne
occupation

Sling Blade - The Razor's Edge is an American film drama of Billy Bob Thornton from the year 1996 . It is based on a one-man play by Thornton, which he played in 1985 and was adapted in George Hickenlooper's short film Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade in 1988 . The film opened in Germany on September 18, 1997 .

action

Karl Childers has been in a mental institution for offenders, the Arkansas State Hospital, since he was 13 years old. When he was twelve years old, he killed his mother and her lover Jesse Dixon. His youth and childhood were marked by violence, abuse and hatred. As a mentally handicapped person, he was never locked in a prison despite the double homicide. Rather, since he has not been diagnosed with any further killing intentions, he is about to be released. After years of therapy, he seems cured. Since he doesn't know where to go, he travels back to his homeland. Since he has little money and no place to stay, he wants to go back to the institution. He must not. Rather, Jerry Wooridge gives him a job with a small place to stay in Bill Cox's workshop.

Before that, Karl met Frank Wheatley, a boy, also barely twelve, with whom he quickly became friends. Frank manages to convince his mother Linda to let Karl sleep in the garage. She does not mind. But her aggressive lover, Doyle Hargraves, doesn't like the disabled. Linda's boss, the gay Vaughan Cunningham, warns Karl of Doyle's outbursts of anger and beatings. Karl can soon see this for himself, because Doyle invites all of his friends to a big party at Linda's. They make music together and dream of going on tour with their own band. Since Doyle is drunk again, he makes fun of Karl and the dreams of his friends, becomes aggressive and throws his bandmates out of Linda's house. When he also becomes aggressive towards Linda, Karl is there when Vaughan, Frank and Linda team up to throw Doyle out.

In the following time, Karl is accepted more and more by the three. He confesses to Linda about his double homicide and assures her that he will never harm Vaughan or Frank. He plays football with Frank. During the conversations with him he learns a lot about Frank's father and how badly Doyle always treated him. Vaughan and Linda come up with the idea of ​​pairing Karl with the store employee Melinda. After Karl visits his neglected father without any rapprochement between the quarreling men, he is baptized.

Karl is shocked to find that Linda Doyle can move in again. Finally he apologized, she explains. But with Doyle the violence comes back into the house. As master of the house, he demands that Karl disappear and that Frank obey him from now on. Frank asks Karl to stay because he needs him. But Karl has decided to move out, gives Frank his books and asks him to avoid Doyle if he should ever get drunk. However, since Doyle raises his hand against Frank and Karl has to intervene, he decides to ask Vaughan to take care of the family. Then he sharpens his lawnmower blade (English "sling blade") and visits Doyle in the absence of Frank and Linda. He asks Doyle to explain how to call the police. Doyle makes fun of him, explains it to him and is then killed by Karl. Karl calls the police to report himself and is sent back to the institution. Despite the renewed briefing, Karl appears liberated: When a fellow inmate, who in the past forced himself on him without being asked, tries to talk to him again, Karl defends himself verbally for the first time.

background

Sling Blade was released in US cinemas on November 29, 1996. With a production budget of about 1 million US dollars , the film could import slightly more than 24 million US dollars.

In addition to the cut version for the cinema release, there is also a director's cut that is twelve minutes longer.

criticism

Renowned film critic Roger Ebert praised the film because it was "a work of great originality and fascination" and would look exactly as if William Faulkner had directed Forrest Gump . For him it is above all the “pain, humor, irony and sweetness” in the protagonist of the story that make him one of the “most memorable film characters” he has seen in a long time. Ebert also praised the other actors and saw a certain cruelty in the ultimate goal that he was steadily approaching.

The renowned film critic James Berardinelli gave the film three out of four stars. He said that the film was an "interesting [...] slowly developing character study". Thornton delivers with his portrayal of Karl, whose "intellectual simplicity makes him seem strangely convincing and personable", by far the "best acting performance of the film". Although the film was “a little too long” and several scenes could have been omitted, Berardinelli came to the conclusion that it was “a fine film”.

Janet Maslin criticized the film in the New York Times . Because although "a vigilant character study" is presented, "Thornton is unfortunately the center of the film". He would only benefit from the "strong solid performances" of his supporting actors and, in his directorial debut, rob the film of its intimacy and present it at a "sleepy pace."

The lexicon of international films saw the drama as a "thematically and stylistically extremely closed study of the stability of faith and morality in a world marked by deprivation and brutality." The camera observes the "slowly escalating events" and appears to be "distant for a long time Plan sequences, framed in an almost colorless scenery. "

Awards

Academy Awards 1997
Chlotrudis Award 1997
Satellite Awards 1996
  • Best Actor - Drama : Nomination for Billy Bob Thornton
  • Best Original Screenplay: Nomination for Billy Bob Thornton
  • Best Score: Nomination for Daniel Lanois
Screen Actors Guild Awards 1997
Saturn Award ceremony 1997

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. a b Sling Blade - On a knife edge in the lexicon of international filmsTemplate: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used .
  2. ^ Sling Blade at boxofficemojo.com, accessed January 9, 2013.
  3. Sling Blade (1996) - Theatrical Cut or Exclusive Director's Cut? This or That Edition. In: This or That Edition. March 3, 2017, Retrieved April 26, 2020 (American English).
  4. Roger Ebert: Sling Blade in the Chicago Sun-Times of November 29, 1996 (English), accessed January 9, 2013.
  5. James Berardinelli: Sling Blade on reelviews.com (English), accessed January 9, 2013.
  6. Janet Maslin: Sling Blade (1996) - Rejoining A World Left Behind in the New York Times, September 30, 1996, accessed January 9, 2013.