The Burning Barrel

What a fascinating little film! Those fortunate enough to see it will be entranced by the deceptively simple story of a man, a farm, a small town, and a trash barrel. Tim Schwab grew up on a farm in South Dakota and learned at an early age that burning trash was the only way to dispose of it out there on the prairie. He would spend hours feeding the fire in the barrel, watching as the debris of his time crumbled into ashes. As an adult, Schwab came to equate the rampant consump­tion that was occurring throughout America, the loss of innocence in his small town, and his own feeling of disillusionment, with the burning barrel, which became symbolic for the destruction that was taking place all around him. This is a very personal, highly evocative film, that will affect many viewers, but especially those in their middle years who long for the quieter, simpler life they once knew--or thought they knew. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (J. Carlson)