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By ARIS
CHRISTOFIDES
Calling "The Ballad of
Little Jo" a feminist western is apt, but also
misleading; it may give the impression that this
is primarily a film with a political agenda, or a
film comprehensible only by women. But while the
hero is a woman, and the film does have a distinct
perspective -- and, yes, also a message -- it is
by all means a solid western yarn.
Suzy Amis stars as Josephine Monaghan, a society
girl who's thrown out by her family, after having
had an illegitimate child. Once on the westward
road, Josephine realizes quickly that in 1866 men
and women are hardly equal. When she's almost
raped and sold into white-slavery she has an
epiphany: if she's going to survive the ruthless
frontier, she better become a man. She cuts her
hair, buys trousers -- despite a law prohibiting
"wearing clothes inappropriate to one's sex" --
and gives herself a nasty facial scar. Thus
insulated from discrimination and unwanted sexual
advances, she becomes Little Jo.
She ends up in a mining town, where mud, muck and
lawlessness reign supreme. Through sheer force of
personality -- a trait not reserved solely for men
-- Jo survives and even makes friends. First with
the town's assayer (Ian McKellen) whose practical
advice she appreciates until he savagely attacks a
prostitute. Then with Frank Badger (Bo Hopkins), a
sheep rancher who's a racist and a sexist bully.
But he gives her a break, by letting her tend his
sheep during a very lonely winter. Eventually
Little Jo has everybody convinced she's a man,
albeit a shy, strange one who doesn't frequent
prostitutes, doesn't want to marry, and is kind to
strangers. One of these strangers is a coolie
(David Chung), as much an outcast as she would
have been, if anyone knew she was female. She
takes the Chinese man into her home as a cook, and
soon they become secret lovers.
"The Ballad of Little Jo" was apparently based on
true events. There were a number of women in the
Old West who did precisely what Little Jo did, in
order to have a more livable existence. However,
the fact that the film had a real-life inspiration
is not what enhances its credibility. Ultimately,
"The Ballad of Little Jo" is credible because the
story is realistic; the characters are
fully-realized and complex -- especially Frank
Badger who's an improbably likable bigot.
Director Maggie Greenwald's style is confident and
has attitude, without being preachy; and, most of
all, there's Suzy Amis' brilliant acting. She's
incredibly convincing as a man, without being
butch. Her underlying femininity is maintained,
and yet we don't doubt for a moment that she can
pass as male. Even during the most demanding
scenes -- when she's making love to her Chinese
cook -- her gender is blurred; while she assumes
the sexually assertive male role, she remains
feminine. It's a difficult assignment, which could
easily have been undone by one misplaced mannerism
or exaggeration. But Amis pulls it off, perfectly.
Of all the cinematic forms, the western is
probably the guiltiest of perpetuating female
stereotypes: women are invariably schoolmarms,
prostitutes or pioneer wives. By taking a
different approach, "The Ballad of Little Jo" is
not only a gender-bender but also a genre-bender.
The film is presented in a solid 1.85:1 widescreen
anamorphic transfer and audio options include both
Dolby and DTS 5.1, as well as Dolby 2.0. I would
have loved a commentary track with Greenwald but
the extras consist of a few trailers and DVD-ROM
features. |
