Greater Southbridge
Picture:
C Sound: C+ Extras: C- Feature: C
What is
the ultimate point of Rod Murphy’s semi-documentary Greater Southbridge? Is it
to show the decline or potential of his old hometown in New England or to mock
it constantly by making the persons living there look bad? Is it to say they are ignorant or goofy? What did he think he was doing?
If the
attempt is to show persons struggling to do better and still be fine people
despite any limitations (personal, educational, financial), it simply
backfires. We never learn enough about
these people in depth, Murphy develops no ironic distance in what he shows and
this adds up to an exploitation work, intended or not. Though it has received some critical acclaim,
it can only be from people projecting good will and better intents, not from
the results of the content.
The 1.33
X 1 image was shot on analog NTSC videotape and it shows with constant softness
and muddy detail. The Dolby Digital 2.0
is simple stereo at best, made primarily of location sound recording on the
tape. It could have been worse. Extras include a trailer and director’s
commentary, but that is about all. I
would have liked to see more of what Murphy was doing in the content of the
feature, but it is just not there.
- Nicholas Sheffo
