Nelson Algren Live (Oscar Bucher, 2017) USA

Reviewed by Hollyn Heron, viewed at the Metropolitan Theaters, Santa Barbara, CA

 Through artist collaborations, still images, reenacted interviews, and spoken word adaptations, the life and work of Nelson Algren comes alive in what looks more like a night at the improv than a run-of-the-mill documentary. Filmed at the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago, and told through readings by fellow authors, including Barry Gifford reading as Algren,  we learn about Algren and how he came to be a writer during the struggling times of the Great Depression. With a mixture of old photographs to compliment the readings, a clear picture is formed of Algren. From his love affairs with prostitutes and gambling, to tales of the origin of his name, nothing is off the table for this show.  But this documentary is not just a typical biography. Some of Algren’s work is read during the performance, with none other that Hollywood Icon and recipient of the 2018 Santa Barbara International Film Festival Cinema Vanguard Award, Willem Dafoe. Dafoe brings to life to Algren’s seedy characters, particularly the Irish booze-hound boxer, Blackie, who meets his demise during a boxing match.

For the soundtrack, we are treated to music from Algren’s own time. A blend of old time piano music, and soft jazz plays unobtrusively during the reenactments of interviews with Algren, taking the viewer back to another time.

Oscar Bucher not only directed this film, he was also the editor.  Bucher sifted through photographs taken by Algren, as well as video archives from the era, to add a Ken Burns quality to the documentary. The still imagery becomes alive through editing techniques matched with the tone and beat to the readers, enhancing the stories that would otherwise fall short with just a staged reading.

Overall, the film had a 1930’s speakeasy ambiance, true to Algren’s writings and his personal character. In watching the film, one feels as though they are watching a live performance in a bar, with illegal gambling and drinking happening all around them, which is what I believe was the intention of Bucher: to bring the viewer completely into Nelson Algren’s world