Special Guest: Kier-la JanisseGuest Co-Hosts: Heather Drain, Jedidiah Ayres
Heather Drain and Jedidiah Ayres join Mike to take a gritty plunge into Monte Hellman's Cockfighter (1974), a controversial and fascinating portrait of obsession and redemption. Warren Oates stars as Frank Mansfield, a man so consumed by his quest to win the cockfighting championship that he’s taken a vow of silence until he claims victory. Set in the underbelly of the American South, this visceral tale pits man against his demons, much like the roosters he trains.
Adapted from Charles Willeford’s novel, Cockfighter pulls no punches in its depiction of the brutal, outlawed sport, which was illegal in 47 states at the time. Film scholar Kier-la Janisse discusses the complex themes of masculinity, pride, and obsession, as well as Hellman’s signature directorial style in her new book, Cockfight: A Fable of Failure.
Listen/Download Now:
Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy Cockfighter by Charles Willeford
Buy Cockfighter on DVD
Music:
"The Cockfighter" - Ed Kuepper
Watch:
An observation I have about The Cockfighter: it is the anti-Junior Bonner. Both characters, during the same basic era, are trying to accomplish a vital goal to prove they are the best in the respective "sporting" fields according to an internal code. Where Junior is a gentler soul and family ultimately comes first, Frank is a crueler man whose sport involves no danger to himself, only to the animals he uses and whose deaths are built into the equation. Although the rodeo has its own share of animal dangers inherent, the beast has a sporting chance to cause its own harm back at its master. In Lawrence of Arabia, Prince Fisel says, "For Lawrence, mercy is a passion. With me, it is merely good manners. You may be the judge of which motive is the more reliable. Junior Bonner and Frank Mansfield are just two sides of the same coin. We, as viewers, must be the judge of which is the more likeable and, and as such we are complicit in which of their actions we choose to root for.
ReplyDelete