Andrea Arnold's American Honey is a raw, visceral coming of age story about Star, a teenage girl who lives a impoverished life, a victim of her own environment. Coming from a broken home, Star is more a parental figure to her younger brother and sister than her own parents, a character who is forced to fend for herself due to her negligent mother and sexually abusive father. Through a chance encounter with Jake, a member of a young magazine sales crew, Star sees her way out of her restrictive lifestyle, joining this band of misfits as she attempts to make a life for herself outside of her downtrodden circumstances. American Honey is a vibrant, albeit flawed examination of teenage angst and hope, documenting the toxic young love that exists between Star and Jake. Star is a character who enters this scene of hard partying and personal freedom, but the more time she spends with the crew, the more it becomes clear that she is still a slave to those who employ her. Much like its naive protagonist, American Honey can be a meandering film at times, detailing the nature of its characters, many of which dream of one day finding a piece of happiness through the money they earn as magazine salesman. The toxic relationship that exists between Jake and Star is the central aspect of the story, two characters who share a mutual attraction for one and other but are routinely torn apart due to their need to make money for their boss, Krystal. Their desire to make as much money as possible routinely puts them at odds with each other, creating a jealousy and angst that only threatens to derail their love for each other. While Arnold's coming of age story is explosive, singular, and unapologetic, the most interesting aspect of American Honey is how Krystal holds control over these two characters, the boss of the operation who makes sure her employees are driven to make as much money as they can. While the film's intentions seem to be set on deconstructing the inherent evils of capitalism, a society that is dictated by consumerism and monetary gains, one could certainly argue that the film could just as easily be a commentary on the troubles of big government. While I'm sure that is not the intention of the story, it's one worth exploring, as Krystal, the boss of the operation, could just as easily be an allegorical character for the government, being a character who has control over all of the youth of her operation, giving them a place to stay every night, food to eat, but effectively owning them, taking three fourths of the money which each of the make. The characters don't seem to have the option of quitting in this particular environment, stuck with Krystal, a character who takes care of them as long as they are paying her a large percentage of their earnings, aka taxes. These kids have no parents to help them, only Krystal, a character who may take care of them on the surface, but only as long as they are paying their dues to her. Either way you interpret this aspect of the film, American Honey presents a main protagonist in Star who becomes consumed by the notion of making as much money as possible, which leads to conflict between Jake, as each character routinely chooses monetary gains over their shared love for one and other. It's only towards the end of the film that Star begins to recognize the true importance of empathy and sacrifice, recognizing that enriching herself monetarily will never fulfill her human desire for empathy, love, and good will. It's always interesting to see an outside perspective of American life, and American Honey certainly doesn't disappoint, painting a unique vision of American life, one steeped heavily in christian imagery, drift-less youth and broken families. Jake and Star are well-developed characterizations for sure, but the film routinely relies too much on caricatures of American life, with many of its side characters being far too one-dimensional, often feeling like lowbrow stereotypes of the south. Perhaps the film's most prudent message is about the importance of family and parental guidance, as all of these characters seem to come from broken homes, victims of their environment due to the negligence of their parents. Star is a character who has never had a parental figure that showed any tpe of sacrifice or guidance, with both Krystal and her actual parents in the beginning of the film choosing to take care of themselves first, before others. It's only through a chance encounter with a group of young children, who have a drug-addict mother, that Star is awakened to the importance of responsibility, empahty, and sacrifice, something which she could have learned earlier if she had only received better guidance. Well-acted, stylish, and vibrant, Andrea Arnold's American Honey is a singular coming of age story by the talented English filmmaker, which offers a unique perspective of American life from an outside perspective.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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