A shell-shocked deserter from an unmanned army fighting an unclear war in an unidentified country goes crazy, and wearing a bright red dress (and some badly applied make-up) becomes a 'rawney', or a witch, in a roving company of counter-culture gypsies. Raggedy is, unfortunately, the key word here. The film was (presumably) meant to be a simple anti-war fable, but it tells a poor story poorly, and there's only one person to blame: Bob Hoskins, who besides making his debut as a director also conceived the idea, co-wrote the unfocused screenplay, and gave himself a starring role. As an actor Hoskins has always been a dedicated professional, but as a director it might be diplomatic to say he needs more practice. The script tries hard to set a timeless, fairy tale mood, but the anachronistic combination of mid-20th century war machinery, medieval superstitions, and New Age hippy philosophy doesn't mix well with all the Cockney dialect and Middle European settings (actually Czechoslovakia). The film meanders along without any clear purpose before coming to an abrupt end, leaving the door open for a sequel that will likely never be made.
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mjneu5927 December 2010
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rsoonsa21 March 2005Interesting Work, One Of A Kind.
For the dubious delights ostensibly a portion of being a director, Bob Hoskins as his first effort selects a highly symbolic subject set in an unidentified nation suffering from a long-term war during the mid-20th century, with an eclectic assemblage of Gypsies as the center of the scenario that depicts the group's determined efforts to avoid becoming involved in the strife, and additionally of a young army deserter whose plight causes him to follow the Rom caravan, with attendant amorous and other dramatic complications at issue. The former soldier, Tom (Dexter Fletcher), has his face gaudily painted and his body adorned with a woman's frock by a little girl who has become deranged after her family's slaughter for sheltering another deserter and after he enters their camp, his garish appearance convinces the Gypsies that the visitor is a madwoman (Rawney), his story based upon a combination of legends cobbled together by Hoskins who co-scripts and casts himself as Darky, leader of the Traveling entourage. It is a unique film, and a viewer will not be able to easily rely upon established frames of reference when watching it, lest one lose one's aesthetic bearings, the Romani genealogical background of Hoskins being apparent in his positive attitudes toward the Gypsies, although there are substantial compromises made for commercial reasons, and inaccuracies abound throughout, particularly in relation to the music that is quite wonderful and also quite largely Celtic and English. Blessed with a wealth of strong imagery and incident, the piece is performed well by the cast, including many Czechs, as it was shot in the former Czechoslovakia, with Zoë Nathenson and Gawn Grainger earning the acting laurels, the former for her splendid turn as a young Gypsy woman who sees through the Rawney's disguise and takes advantage of her secret knowledge, the latter as the commanding officer of the local rampaging military force. A funeral scene is unforgettable and many others remain forward in the memory, including a spirited but unGypsy-like wedding and predominant are stereotypical aspects of supposed Rom or Traveller life, but on balance the direction, acting, music and top-notch post-production work place the film in a category of its own, one that a true cinephile may wish to own. -
peekthemorpholux13 May 2006A brief comment on the caoining (keening) done in the film by the Gypsies when the mentally challenged boy dies:
The BEST example of Celto-European caoining this reviewer has ever witnessed in film. It is an ancient tradition in many cultures that the dead find their way through the darkness by hearing the caoining of their loved ones. Yet, these wails serve as not only a "light" for the departed, but also as a way for those left behind to sing their sorrows where words absolutely fail to express the loss.
In every other way, too, this is a fine and very colorfully photographed film. Bob Hoskins plays Darky, leader of the Gypsy caravan. This brilliant artist also directed and co-wrote the screenplay. -
chris_roth886 April 2001I try to comment in english in spite of knowing that my english is awful. Sorry.
I've seen that film in 1995 and after that I decided making films by myself. I was very impressed of that sensual handling with an androgyne character. It faszinates me not to know: Is it an homosexual, an transvestite or just a female man. The story was not really clear for me, but the mileu and the characters have been so excellent, that the film today is already one of my favourite films.