2024 Blind Spot Series: Eve's Bayou
Official synopsis: Summer heats up in rural Louisiana beside Eve’s Bayou, 1962, as the Batiste family tries to survive the secrets they’ve kept and the betrayals they’ve endured.
For some reason, I grew up thinking Eve's Bayou was a horror movie. Probably because they chose a very menacing photo of Samuel L. Jackson for the poster and I vaguely knew they talked about voodoo. When I went to log this film on letterboxd, I was comforted in knowing I wasn't the only one that had that very far off assumption.
Eve's Bayou is not in fact a horror film, though a horrible thing does happen in it. It is instead a story of coming of age and loss of innocence. All told through the eyes of young Eve (Jurnee Smollett) It's s visually striking piece. The lighting is perfect, the costumes beautiful, and you can feel the atmosphere. I never would've guessed that this is director Kasi Lemmon's first film. This might be the best first feature I've ever seen. It's made with such ease and passion. I hate that Lemmons isn't a huge name director today. How is she not making a new film every other year with her talent?
We know the answer. It's the same answer for why Jurnee Smollett didn't have the same career as some of the white young actors her age. She should've been one of those 90's breakouts like Elijah Wood, Christina Ricci and Tina Majorino. And I'm part of the problem, putting off this magnificent film until now.
Grade: A
Hey, I'm just glad you chose this film as a Blind Spot and you love it. I saw it on HBO in 1998 when I was 17 as I didn't know what to expect. Yes, Kasi Lemmons is a filmmaker that doesn't get enough respect. Talk to Me with Don Cheadle, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Taraji P. Henson is among one of her best while The Caveman's Valentine with Samuel L. Jackson is kind of an underrated gem.
ReplyDeleteI have to check out those two films!
DeleteI have not even heard of it but, now, it’s on my list to see
ReplyDeleteIt's a good one!
DeleteI went into this expecting some sort of horror film as well but my perception was based on the preview more than the poster which made it appear very menacing. Not being much of a horror guy I wasn't disappointed that it wasn't but I wasn't overly impressed in what it turned out to be either.
ReplyDeleteIt was heavily atmospheric which was good as was the cast but I just didn't care that much about the story. That may have been my failing but the one time I watched it was plenty for me. You mentioned Jurnee Smollett's career not being as successful as it should have been and I'll say the same thing for Lynn Whitfield! A wonderful actress I really thought her performance in "The Josephine Baker Story" would lead to a breakout for her, at least in television if not film but it didn't happen. She's continued to work but hardly in projects worthy of her.
Yes! Lyn Whitfield too. Jurnee was top of mine because she had such a career boost with Lovecraft Country, I was surprised to see just how long she'd been working when I essentially recognized her from True Blood first.
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