[...] practice:
The Cowboy and the Frenchman (1988)
dir: David Lynch[published 10/03/2024]
HOW DAVID LYNCH MADE A BAD SHORT FILM BASED ON A GOOD IDEA FOR A FRENCH MAGAZINE
AFTER BEING APPROACHED TO MAKE A SHORT FILM FOR THE FRENCH MAGAZINE LE FIGARO DAVID LYNCH TURNED DOWN THE OFFER, BECAUSE HE SAID:“I DON'T HAVE ANY IDEAS FOR THIS AND I REALLY DON’T THINK SO”
THE SERIES WAS CALLED "THE FRENCH AS SEEN BY... “ WHICH IS ABOUT HOW FOREIGNERS SEE FRENCH PEOPLE. WERNER HERZOG DIRECTED ONE ABOUT WINE TASTING AND RUGBY PLAYING. AND FOR SOME REASON, JEAN-LUC GODARD MADE ONE AS WELL, THOUGH HOW HE IS A FOREIGNER, I CAN’T BE SURE.
NEVERTHELESS, ON HIS DRIVE BACK TO THE HOTEL, DAVID LYNCH WAS HIT BY A SPARK OF AN IDEA. AND WHEN HE REACHED BACK OUT TO THE PRODUCERS, THEY WERE THRILLED AND DESCRIBED HIS CONCEPT AS “TWO CLICHES IN ONE”, AND OFF TO SHOOTING IT LYNCH WENT.
A COOL SIDE NOTE ABOUT THIS SHORT IS THAT THIS WAS THE VERY FIRST TIME LYNCH WORKED WITH
HARRY DEAN STANTON. IT ALSO INCLUDED OTER NOTABLES AND USUAL LYNCH CAST LIKE JACK NANCE, TRACEY WALTER, AND MICHAEL HORSE.
THE MOVIE IS ABOUT COWBOYS “WHO DON'T TAKE KINDLY TO FOREIGNERS, INDIANS, OR BIRDS” WHO MEET A FRENCHMAN WHO DOESN'T SPEAK A LICK OF ENGLISH. EVENTUALLY, THEY HAVE SOMEWHAT OF A CULTURAL EXCHANGE, WITH THE PUNCHLINE BEING “WE CAN COME TOGETHER OVER WOMEN, BOOZE, AND MUSIC, BUT WE CAN NEVER AGREE ON SNAILS.”
IT’S A LYNCHIAN ATTEMPT AT A SATIRE OF A WESTERN, FULL OF REDUNDANT AND SILLY DIALOGUE AND ALL MANNER OF RANCH LIFE STEREOTYPES.
AT FIRST GLANCE, THE SHORT PRESENTS ITSELF AS A SHALLOW, STEREOTYPICAL TAKE ON HOW AMERICANS WHO WATCH WAY TOO MANY WESTERNS MIGHT SEE THE FRENCH. ON SECOND GLANCE, IT’S ACTUALLY MUCH DEEPER THAN THAT. IN USUAL DAVID LYNCH FASHION, THE CONCEPT HAS BEEN TURNED ON ITS HEAD, WHICH IS WHY THE PRODUCERS DESCRIBED IT AS TWO CLICHES IN ONE.
BECAUSE, YOU SEE, THE MOVIE IS ACTUALLY BEING TOLD FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE FRENCHMAN. IT’S THE FRENCHMAN WHO IS HAVING A FEVER DREAM ABOUT HOW HE SEES AMERICANS SEEING HIM.
SO THE FLATNESS AND THE STEREOTYPES AND THE INCONSEQUENTIAL DIALOGUE IS REALLY DAVID LYNCH SAYING “I’M SHOWING YOU HOW YOU SEE US SEEING YOU,” AND THAT IS WONDERFUL LYNCH WORMHOLE TO DIVE INTO.
HOWEVER, THE MOVIE IS BAD. AND NOT ON PURPOSE BAD, IT’S JUST A BAD MOVIE. IT HAS A SUPER THIN PLOT LINE, THE ACTING (SAVE FOR JACK NANCE) IS ATROCIOUS, THE EDITING IS BAD AND THE SETS AND BLOCKING ARE QUITE FLAT. THE ONLY THING THAT ISN'T BAD ABOUT IT IS THE MUSIC.
SO THEN, WHAT'S THE TAKEWAY?
I THINK THAT EVEN THOUGH THE FINAL EXECUTION OF THE COWBOY AND THE FRENCHMAN IS CHOPPY AT BEST, THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS IF YOU HAVE A GOOD IDEA FOR A MOVIE, OR A PIECE OF ART, OR AN ESSAY (PERHAPS LIKE THIS ONE) JUST GO AHEAD AND MAKE IT. DON’T LET THE FEAR OF A PLOT THAT’S BARELY THERE OR THE LIKELIHOOD THAT IT WILL BE BAD STOP YOU.
DAVID LYNCH DIDN’T.