Last Chants For A Slow Dance (1977) - Jon Jost

Of all of Jost's films I have seen, Last Chants for a Slow Dance seems to be most character-centric film.  The film is  about Tom, a loner type character who seems to lack any real desire for emotional connection.  This is definitely the most despicable character in a Jost film I
can think of, and Tom Blair does a great job at capturing this man's desperation
and overall terrible demeanor.  The scene where Tom cheats
on his wife is without question the best scene in the film.   The use of the TV in the background as a sort of commentary on love and lust, coupled with the aftermath where Tom argues with his wife about her lack of support while the other woman sits in the adjacent room waiting, is a very powerful sequence.  While I do think Jost's style fit some of his other films much more, the lingering camera does work well at soaking in this isolation and loneliness which exists in many of the characters, even Tom, though his aggressive nature really left me feeling little to no sympathy for him.  Being that this is like Jost's road movie, there are also a few great scenes where Tom is on the road, the camera just films the passing country-side or roadway, capturing how Tom's life is essentially nothing outside of the open road, where he seems to find some form of solace.  From what I could tell, Last Chants is designed to be a scathing commentary of the macho-psyche, which is celebrated in middle/southern America.  Tom is a man who fulfills this archetype and yet we see how ugly and lonesome he truly is.  Last Chants For A Slow Dance is probably my least favorite of Jost's films I have seen, but it's still definitely interesting and worth a watch.
7.75/10

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