“Who needs metaphors for hell or poetry about hell? This really happened, here on this earth.”
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Synopsis:
Spalding Gray discusses his experiences while filming a small role in The Killing Fields (1984).
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Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:
- Actors and Actresses
- Character Studies
- Jonathan Demme Films
Review:
Spalding Gray is one of the best-known monologists of the late 20th century, and Jonathan Demme’s Swimming to Cambodia — an edited combination of two live performances, accompanied by Laurie Anderson’s evocative sound effects — provides a fascinating glimpse at his prowess. In this unusual storytelling event, Gray intersperses humorous vignettes from his experiences filming in Thailand with a concise history of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia — an unexpected, yet surprisingly effective, marriage of ideas. Gray’s monologue is poignant rather than hilarious; he’s not a stand-up comedian, but rather an astute commentator on the intersection of personal travails and public tragedies.
Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
- Spalding Gray’s charismatic storytelling presence
- Laurie Anderson’s memorable sound effects
Must See?
Yes. All film fanatics should see at least one of the late Spalding Gray’s filmed monologues, and this is probably his best.
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One thought on “Swimming to Cambodia (1987)”
A must.
I’d not seen this – and it is riveting. (It may seem to take 5 minutes or so to fall into its groove, but stay with it. It does take off.)
For the ff, ‘STC’ is the rare example of an extended, filmed monologue – which, being a theater performance, obviously has a dynamic quite different from that of stand-up. I doubt I would ever call filmed stand-up a film.
Demme has taken a simple, direct approach in serving up the material, and he serves it well. The informative, historical tale Gray has to impart is largely that of a hell on earth, in its various forms. His manner is lively, to say the least.