Green Blood, Red Tears

In 1995, James Gray Goodman, a robust-looking 43-year-old Kentucky tobacco farmer with a loving family and deep roots in his community, sat under a tree in the cow pasture and put a shotgun to his head. James' suicide was an enormous tragedy for his family and friends; it was, however, not unique: farmers, we are told, are three to four times more likely to commit suicide than the general population, not only in the U.S., but also worldwide. Filmmaker Joe Gray, James' uncle, sets out to investigate this mystery. In the first part, Gray's research focuses on the socio-economic pressures increasingly faced by small, independent farmers: growth of huge agri-business; the increasing crop yields and attendant decline in labor force brought about through new technologies; the rising costs of maintaining small farms. The psychological repercussions of these hardships are also discussed, including the overwhelming sense of failure, lack of control, and anger experienced by many small farmers. Somewhere around the last quarter of the video, the gears shift, and the possible biological causes of farmer suicide are explored. We're presented with a scattershot sampling of expert opinions about the deleterious impact of organo-phosphate products, such as insecticides, on the central nervous system, complete with animated diagrams. The suspected effects of exposure to this deadly stuff include mood swings, loss of short-term memory, and severe depression (all of which were experienced by Jim Goodman in his final days). Unfortunately, while much of what the filmmaker has to say is eye-opening, the general lack of coherence and focus in the discussions often short-circuit his good intentions. In his desperate search for answers, Gray has given us too much unfocused conjecture to be able to draw any firm conclusions. A firmer editing hand and a more sophisticated visual style would perhaps have helped these problems. A useful addition, nonetheless, to libraries with an interest in environmental and agricultural issues. Recommended, with reservations. Aud: C, P. (G. Handman)