Taking place in the late 1980s in the aftermath of a massive forest fire responsible for leaving thousands homeless, David Gordon Green's Prince Avalanche is the story of Alvin and Lance, two road construction workers. Both coming from the city life, they work in this isolated landscape that forces the two men to confront each other and themselves. Prince Avalanche is a film that beautifully balances its humor and drama in delivering a touching and resonant story about life itself. Alvin and Lance couldn't be more different with Alvin being an introverted narcissist and Lance being an irresponsible man who refuses to grow-up. At least this is what it feels like at first but as the film progresses Green begins to show how these very different men are really one in the same. They are both lonely and somewhat lost in life but the film doesn't present them as outliers but the norm of all individuals. I know it sounds silly but for me Prince Avalanche is about the beauty of life and how the ugliness and sorrow are just part of finding oneself which in turn leads to happiness. Prince Avalanche is very funny with lots of great dry humor but tthe drama is very resonant. There is an incredibly affecting scene where Alvin comes across an elderly woman digging through the ashes of her home. This is a beautifully directed sequence that captures the lost memories of this woman with grace. The setting of Prince Avalance isn't used a merely a backdrop but a thematically device to display how happiness and misery are merely two extremes of life which blend together. David Gordon Green's Prince Avalanche is a film that is impossible to categorize delivering both comedy and a profound sense of life itself. 8.5/10
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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