Renegade (2004)

Jan Kounen's Renegade, or Blueberry as its called in some regions, is the strangest western I've ever seen. To call it strange is an understatement in fact. First off, it's not a perfect movie, and I'm not raving about it. But despite its flaws with pacing, it's a damn interesting one with some really beautiful, sweeping cinematography, a great cast and some really unique sequences that are just unlike anything you've seen in the genre before. Vincent Cassel plays Mike Blueberry, a man who after a tragedy in his youth, flees to the nearby mountains and is raised by the natives there. When he emerges in adulthood he becomes Marshal of a small town set on the plains there. He's forced to deal with marauding outsiders led by Wallace Sebastian Blount (Michael Madsen) who also figures into his tragic past. Madsen gives the work of his career as an enigmatic, terrifying outlaw who's on the hunt for an unconventional treasure hidden in the mountains. He blows into town like the winds of hell and stirs up trouble with Blueberry, the mayor (Ernest Borgnine), and all kinds of folk. Blueberry and his old flame Maria (Juliette Lewis) are led on a haunting quest to the mountains to stop Blount and locate the treasure. The film's distinct quality is one 15 minute sequence near the end that jumps the shark and leaves you floored, as it's essentially a peyote trip happening on screen, with scintillating cg artwork, slithering ethereal snakes and all sorts of metaphysical chaos happening as Cassel and Madsen do battle in the Astral plane, and Cassel comes face to face with his baked soul, and the surprising revelation that has haunted him for years. It's worth seeing just for that alone, as it's like nothing I've ever seen. Seriously. Djimon Hounsou has a grisly appearance you won't forget, Eddie Izzard shows up as a snivelling weasel, and there's nice work from Temuera Morrison, Geoffrey Lewis, Tchecky Karyo and Colm Meaney as well. It's also aesthetically pleasing to look at, some of the shots are pure gold and I wish it played in theaters so I could have a chance to see it on the big screen. Like I said though, it's far from perfect. There's some tonal issues. The writing is sometimes clunky. But it's worth it just for the earthy, ethereal spectacle of it alone, and like it or not, you'll be glad you checked it out.

I'm one of those who watched Blueberry awaiting a comic book adaptation and, needless to say, wasn't impressed. Maybe the title itself was misleading, since i see there was a release called Renegade. That one i'd surely avoid, which, in turn, would have spared me the disappointment.Anyhow, if you're not familiar with the comic book, there's a whole level of discussion made obsolete. We're left with some nice visuals, yet they get swiftly forgotten by poor CGI which should represent psychedelic visions. Since Blueberry has been released in 2004, i.e. several years after Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon set new standards for special effects, there is no excuse for these visual blurbs.

If you expect a real western, this is not your film. It's a film about shamanism set in a wild west background. I liked the film because it's one of the rare films about ayahuasca. The acting is mediocre, some of the scenes too long, the story is vague. But I loved the nature scenes, lots of symbolism and small details like the shipibo textiles the shaman is wearing. (In fact the Shipibo indians - ayahuasca masters - live in Peru, not in the Wild West, but here it all builds up to the ayahuasca part of the film.)There's some reference to peyote as well, but the end scene is clearly an ayahuasca journey, including the purging of black demons by vomiting and very realistic bright dancing DMT lights.I quote somebody else's review: "If you've ever done Ayahuasca, or a lot of Peyote, or done shamanic journeying, this film is for you. If you haven't, you might enjoy the computer generated images -- which are truly fantastic and amazing -- but you won't have a clue what's going on. <> Going to see this one stoned will NOT help you understand it."

I must admit that while Jan Kounen made a movie like this, made it base on Blueberry comics, and names the movie 'Blueberry', he surely was asking for trouble. I do understand why many, or dare I say most of the Blueberry fans were riled when they saw the film. That is a shame, since Blueberry truly was and is a very beautiful film, not only visually but story-wise, too: to me, this is a haunting depiction of loosing and finding yourself, facing your inner demons and getting over it by becoming a better person.This movie might also offend and/or shake you, if your view of the world is very rational and materialistic. (This quick-analysis is based on the reactions of my friends after seeing the film, and on the image I have of them as persons. Not very scientific, but seems true. :) The film is very heavy on symbolism, and the narration of the plot is on the spiritual side, quite loaded with shamanistic views, but it is not just a fancy gimmick to mess with your head. Most of all, it's not a weakness in this film, but it's strength. There really is a big truth to be found underneath all the visual candy and mysterious notations. Just be patient and SEE it. ;)Apart from visuals and story, I loved Michael Madsen and his character in it. Blount was riddled with contradictions and filled with both mystique and madness, and the way he materialized it all on the screen with very minimalistic but intense gestures, mostly with his raspy voice. (Of course, you've seen him on screen doing mad things for dozens of times, but you have to admit, he's very good at what he's doing, right?)This could have been a full 10 out of 10 film to me, but I must drop few points from the score, for the film being a bit too long and confusing at times, both in a bad way. A little tightening up of the story here and there wouldn't have hurt the whole package. You might also like to criticize the film for being based _very_ loosely (from what I've heard) on the Blueberry comic books, but that's not my field of speciality, since it's been years since I've read even one Blueberry album, so I leave it for you to decide, whether the liberties taken are a good or bad thing.All in all, a must see for the fans of cinema. With open mind, it might give you a lot. If you like it, I'm sure you'll come back second time. I know I did, and will return again.This is my truth. What is yours?