Why They Went To The Woods- a look at "Old Joy"

Ernest Hemingway believed in the “iceberg theory” of writing, that for every part of the story that shows seven-eights is underwater. In this principle, omitting details would make the piece stronger. But this only works if the writer has done his job, has rendered the story in such a manner that it would seem as if the missing facts were stated.

“Old Joy” was based on a short story (by Jonathan Raymond) and omits details much in the same manner as Hemingway did. The narrative concerns two estranged 30-something friends who reunite for a camping trip in Oregon. Mark (played by Daniel London) is a soon-to-be father who listens to the sad plight of this world on talk radio (the progressive Air America). Kurt (played by Will Oldham) is a free spirited neo-hippy, a guy who wants to get high off experiencing life and illegal narcotics. The plot is pure minimalism- the old friends meet up, talk a bit, go to the woods, and return. But, like a great piece of prose, it’s what happens beneath the action that counts.

Kelly Reichardt, the talented director of “Old Joy”, wrote in the press notes that “the film is a minimalist story of friendship that captured all the feeling of loss and alienation that everybody in my world seemed to be grappling with.” There is no doubt that Mark is cut off from the world around him. His face has a near constant expression of numbness. Mark has a baby on the way (soon by the size of his wife’s belly), and when Kurt invites him on the camping trip he doesn’t think twice about accepting. Although he does ask his wife’s permission, which she views as mere perfunctory gesture. Mark looks like a man who needs to get away.

Kurt, as we soon find out, lives his life as a perpetual escape. He smokes dope, communes with nature, and seems to expect The Universe to provide him with the answers. When the two meet up, it soon becomes clear they are far from being the friends they once were. Their silences seem to be only broken by Mark’s rambling stories of his Zen-like adventures. In telling these tales, Kurt is trying to reestablish a rapport with his old friend. Mark offers nothing in return, and even won’t speak to his wife on the cell phone in Kurt’s presence. At one point Mark walks about ten feet away from his car, and we’re left inside the vehicle with Kurt looking out at his friend as if he is only a part of the scenery viewed from the windshield.

Their destination is a natural Hot Springs, and most of film is the journey to this spot. The director treats us to long takes viewed from inside the car. Their voyage from the city to the woods is purposely delayed, much in the way that Stanley Kubrick dragged out the arrival to the space station in “2001 A Space Odyssey”. He did it to demonstrate the immensity of space, and it’s possible that Ms. Reichardt employs this same technique to show the immense chasm between our hectic everyday lives and the serene natural world. And it can also be seen as the great distance between a guy who’s chosen to lead a conventional life (Mark) and somebody who has opted to dwell in the counterculture (Kurt).

Or maybe I’m guilty of excessive extrapolation. Although I believe in Hemingway’s “iceberg principle”, there’s a danger in omitting too many details. And I think “Old Joy” is guilty of that. Barely over an hour long, it just seemed as if three or four scenes were missing. Mark might be alienated and feel paralyzed over the state of the world (which I can relate to), but I never learned personal details that would make me care about him. He’s got a pregnant wife, listens to political radio, and loves his dog, but I need more from a character. What does he do for a living? What was the last book he read? How did he meet his wife?

A film doesn’t have to answer every question or provide excessive information. But if it’s a simple story with a skeleton plot, then there should be emphasis on character development. While we get to know Kurt fairly well, Mark is instantly forgettable.

I strongly believe the audience should have to use their brains to unearth the subtext. Because it’s the undercurrent of emotions that elevates a film from mere entertainment to art. Unfortunately, “Old Joy” exists too much under the surface. I might be able to relate to the abstract emotions of the film (loss of friendship, getting older, and isolation), but I wasn’t given concrete details why I should care about Mark and Kurt grappling with these.

But there is much to like about “Old Joy”. The cinematography is beautiful, the music is haunting, and such a quiet and original film is a welcome respite from the loud replicas that continuously play at the multiplexes. Also, the meaning behind the title, that “sorrow is only worn out joy” is poetical wisdom. And despite its faults, here it is, more than a week after watching the film, and I’m still thinking about “Old Joy”. Still thinking about that slug and the trees and the birds and the bubbling water of the hot springs.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468526/