RaMell Ross’s documentary Hale County This Morning, This Evening leaves interpretations completely open to the viewer. Is it a political statement? I don’t know, you tell me. Is it trying to convince us of something? Again, that’s for you to decide. Ross doesn’t seem to be telling us anything. Rather, he’s showing us and letting his imagery and montage choices speak for themselves. He’s including us in a beautiful, yet unspoken dialogue that has the capacity to be deeply affecting. His film is an outstanding documentary achievement.
In many ways Hale County could be described as an exercise in the Kuleshov Effect – an early Soviet film experiment in which an expressionless actor is shown “looking” at various items such as a bowl of soup, a body in a coffin, or a woman on a couch (the audiences all thought the actor’s expression changed to match the motif of the shot – it had not). Hale County utilizes or at least borrows from this technique to create a dreamlike, ethereal state that hovers over the everyday lives of its subjects. The art of editing is an act of manipulation, but the stream of consciousness style used by Ross – along with intercuts and aural choices – elevates the experience to a level that surpasses manipulation into one of total immersion.
Hale County features no narrative in the traditional sense of the term. This choice allows it to free associate with its subjects and for us to free associate with what we’re seeing on screen. Ross captures the everyday lives, struggles, and dreams of African American residents in Hale County, Alabama with a grace that matches the community. There are no stereotypes one way or the other- no outrage or call to arms – just life as it is lived every day by members of a community that is often overlooked or overly politicized. It’s a radical approach, and one that manages to accomplish more than any talking head, statistic, or exploitative measure ever could. It’s amazing what can be achieved by simply being honest with and about your subjects.
Hale County This Morning, This Evening isn’t a typical documentary, but that doesn’t mean it’s difficult or hard to swallow. Its simplicity is extremely palatable, and its long takes and immersive style will draw you in and keep you there. It’s not “in your face” or trying to sell you on anything, but with the level of humanity at work, I dare you to honestly walk away unaffected in some way.
James is a writer, skateboarder, record collector, wrestling nerd, and tabletop gamer living with his family in Asheville, North Carolina. He is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the North Carolina Film Critics Association, and contributes to The Daily Orca, Razorcake Magazine, Mountain Xpress, and Asheville Movies.