Julien Donkey-Boy

There are many obvious reasons to dislike Harmony Korine’s Julien Donkey-Boy***; let’s take those as read. (Ebert––“The odds are good that most people will dislike this film and be offended by it. For others, it will provoke sympathy rather than scorn.”) I’m interested in hearing from people who LIKED it for some reason, and why you liked it.

Watching it was not an entirely pleasant experience, but when it was over I felt affected; moved; reached. Its non-narrative approach is kind of refreshing: it forces you to take receive it in an entirely new–almost uncinematic–way. Like reading Finnegans Wake: it makes the most sense only after you let go of your expectations of sense, and let it say what it has to say in its own vocabulary.

Anyone else glad they made it through to the end credits?

I don’t know, I mean I preferred Gummo to Julien. It did have it’s moments, and the Werner Herzog character was fabulous. All in all, it makes you see that there are a lot of people on the fringe of society. Not quite derelicts and not quite carzies… but definately not your average joe.

I liked parts of it… well i dunno… i am not even sure i can say i liked it. I didn’t hate it, and it was definately not your typical movie experience. And that’s about the best you can really hope for.