LIT 132w: Sayles / Lone Star

LIT 132: Comparative American Literatures
Summer 2001

John Sayles, Lone Star (1996)
"Lone Star" is the eleventh film from one of America's most successful contemporary independent filmmakers. Sayles is also a novelist, short story writer, playwright, and essayist. On screen, he is particularly drawn to stories one doesn't typically find in the local multiplex -- although many of his films have been quite successful. His other work includes:
• "Return of the Secaucus Seven" (1980)
• "The Brother from Another Planet" (1984)
• "Matewan" (1987)
• "Eight Men Out" (1988)
• "City of Hope" (1991)
• "Passion Fish" (1993)
• "The Secret of Roan Inish" (1995)
• "Men with Guns" (1998)

How to see the film again

Printable Scene Index (for taking notes while watching)

Pre-viewing questions:

As you watch the film, take notes. This may be difficult at first, since you will likely be caught up in the movie's plot. But do your best to jot down what's happening, and how it's happening. At the screening on Sunday, there will be a skeletal scene list to help you organize your notes. In the questions below, we'll suggest some of the things you might look for.
The plot: At its most basic level, this is a murder mystery. Sam Deeds, the sheriff of Rio County, is trying to figure out who killed Charlie Wade, the sheriff when Sam's father, Buddy, was a new deputy. Was it Buddy himself?
But there are a number of sub-plots in the film, other stories that wind there way in and out of the main tale. As you watch, think about the ways that these other stories are related to the main narrative. How, for example, is the story of the new Army Major (Delmore Payne, played by Joe Morton) connected with the Sam/Buddy Deeds story? Where are the points of intersection, and how do they move the film along?
One of the most crucial preoccupations of the film is the relationship between the past and the present. What is the film's attitude toward the power of the past? Does the past shape the present? How? Is it possible to shake yourself free from the past? If so, should you want to?
Much like Middle Passage, "Lone Star" is interested in the relationships between fathers and sons. How do these play out in the film? Are they resolved in ways similar to the resolution in Middle Passage? Are they resolved at all?
How does the setting -- on the border between the U.S. and Mexico, in a town called "Frontera" -- contribute to the film's thematic preoccupations?
What comments does the film make about contemporary race relations? Are race relations hopelessly antagonistic? Is there a way out of interracial conflict? If so, what is it?
What's the deal with Sam's ex-wife Bunny? Is she just there for comic relief?
Try also to take note of the film's effects -- the lighting, the music (especially the music), the camera angles, the zooms and pans. Think of these elements as the movie's 'formal' qualities. How do these formal aspects help to reinforce the film's themes?
One technique to watch for in particular is the flashback. How are these handled on camera? Why do you think Sayles chose to handle them in this way?
In some ways, the ending of this film recalls the ending of Middle Passage (in the promise of union between Sam and Pilar). How satisfying do you find the final scenes? Have Sam and Pilar found a way out of the conflicts that have defined their lives, their family history, their town, their region?

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