Made over a 15-year period, Bowl of Bone is the chronicle of an evolving relationship between Canadian filmmaker Jan-Marie Martell and a British Columbia herbalist and visionary (called a "syuwe" by the Salish people) named Annie Zetco York. Haunted by her own personal demons (the death of a high school sweetheart in Vietnam, and an abortion), Martell is driven to look for the underlying meaning of people, places, and events: the big picture, so to speak, as it relates to her. In its broadest form, Martell's quest is the quintessential human search to know the mysterious workings of the universe. Armed with a tape recorder, a camera, and a sense of inquisitiveness, Martell made numerous trips to visit Annie and her first cousin Arthur, learning of the medicinal properties of many herbs, witnessing cleansing rituals, celebrating Annie's 80th birthday, and finally, being there to help Annie fight her battle with cancer. Although there are touches of humor (primarily in Martell's interactions with Arthur), and moments of drama that speak to us, Bowl of Bone is, ultimately, a personal and even, at times, self-indulgent, film. Between Martell's seemingly endless series of dream re-enactments and her inability to distinguish the interesting from the banal (or even coherent) in York's commentary, the viewer becomes more and more estranged from the film. Which is a shame, because the cinematography is nicely done, the principals often interesting, and the price exceptionally low for this kind of film. But Bowl of Bone is finally film as personal psychotherapy: its focus so insular that it shuts the audience out. Winner of several awards, including the Eagle Spirit Award at the 17th Annual American Indian Film Festival, Bowl of Bone is an optional purchase. (R. Pitman)
Bowl Of Bone
(1992) 114 min. $59.95. Turtle Productions. Color cover. Vol. 9, Issue 3
Bowl Of Bone
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