Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus

Posted by Brian C. Gibson (brian@filmschoolrejects.com) on March 15, 2006

Release Date: March 14, 2006

“A simple enough beginning, a record received as a Christmas gift. A record with a highly unusual title: The Mysterious Tale of How I Shouted Wrong-Eyed Jesus. It was record so full of strangeness you had to wonder. in a shrinking world. where this music comes from. This film sets out to look for that place.”

The film, Searching for the Wrong Eyed Jesus is exactly what the above quotation describes. Jim White, the artist who made the mentioned record, guides the audience on a musical journey through the south. The typical stereotypes of the South are somewhat negative, but this film scratches past the surface. White helps you find beauty in a world that he never found beautiful until he left it behind. He and the film crew pile into a rusted 1970 Chevy and embark on a journey into the heart of the South.

The film explores the social, spiritual, and economic aspects of the South not only as a place but as a state of mind or atmosphere. Each person or place encountered is set to an authentic tune that finds its heart in the region. White journeys back roads, churches, bars, prisons, and mobile home lots to find the true essence of Southern Americana where you can walk up to anyone and hear either the greatest or saddest story that you will ever hear.

The film is somewhat of a documentary, so it can lose your attention rather quickly if you don’t grasp the subject. The subject itself is rather simple and the stories told in this film have a charm that could not be described any better than the genuine people that told them. Some of the ideologies of the South are enlightening, such as when they take a trip to a prison. The prisoners speak of why they committed their crimes and the most common motive was simply boredom. White tells of how a person in the South who can not find beauty in the simplicity of their surroundings can either self implode and do things for sheer excitement, even if they are illegal. They may also try to escape to bigger and better things and never truly find happiness.

The film opens up a new perspective on the people and the scenery of the American South. Jim White can come off a little too pretentious throughout the film, but the message is genuine. The music provides a beautiful backdrop to the film and the rusty ambiance that it explores. The film is worth taking a look at, but probably not three days worth of Starbucks.

The Upside:
Great music and poignant visuals.
The Downside:
A documentary that can lose your interest quickly if you are not into the subject matter.
On the Side:
Jim White has been a surfer, cab driver, and a Alt-Country singer.

Making the Grade:
The Film: C+
The Delivery: B
The Extras: D-
Overall: C

Click Here to buy Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus on DVD from Amazon.

Click Here to read other reviews by Brian Gibson.

Technorati: Jesus, The South, Red States, Music, Americana, American Culture, Documentary, Film, Cinema, Entertainment, Jim White

Read more articles by Brian C. Gibson