Renegade...err, umm.. Blueberry

In 2004, a movie called Renegade (or known as Blueberry) was released, directed by Jan Kounan, written by a whole mess of people, loosely adapted from the Blueberry comic series. The principle stars are Vincent Cassel, Michael Madsen, and Juliette Lewis, with cameos from Eddie Izzard, Colm Meaney, and Ernest Borgnine. This is an interesting movie, but I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a good movie.

The story is about a man who at a young age witnesses the murder of a prostitute that he has fallen for at the hands of an outlaw. The young man is taken in by some Indians and is healed by them and accepted by them. Years later, he is a marshal. When the outlaw returns, he goes on a quest for revenge against the man who killed his love interest in the beginning. However, the outlaw is not after traditional gold, but instead the “gold” of the treasure of the Indians, which is a little hard to explain.

I haven’t mentioned yet that this is a western because I’m not sure if it can really be called a western. It takes place in the 1870’s in the West, but the last 20 minutes of the movie can’t be called traditional western material. It is more like an acid trip. Or more specifically, an Ayahuasca trip. This hallucinogen has DMT in it, which is a natural compound produced in our bodies that enables us to dream. Ayahuasca on the other hand allows people to be conscious when these dreams occur. Some think the substance in the movie is peyote, but since the substance is drunk, and much more powerful, all my research concludes it’s an Ayahuasca trip the outlaw is after, which leads people to “the other side” which I assume means another part of existence. In a western, one would expect a huge shootout at the end, or even a small shootout, or shooting at all, but not in this movie. The last 20 minutes is the “climax” if one can call it that. The outlaw takes a drink and begins his trip, followed soon by the marshal who starts his trip. The trip itself is hinted at throughout the movie before it, with plant creatures and hydras and snake things, but when the full-blown trip begins near the end, nothing can prepare the viewer. It is both beautiful and confusing. It’s something you should mute and put on some Pink Floyd (Echoes, Saucerful of Secrets, Shine on You Crazy Diamond, etc.) or some early Porcupine Tree to really get some effect out of it. As amazing as it is to watch this trip, it really takes the viewer out of the story.

Overall, as standard of a story as it begins with, try not to latch on too tightly to the narrative. The ending will throw you off so quickly. As far as the western parts, it has a great buildup, then falls on its face. As far as the trippy parts, they are second to none. But I’m not sure how well they sync up together. It is for sure an unusual film, that at best is a wonderful piece of CGI for the creatures seen in the trippy parts and such, and at worst it is a pretentious piece of cinematography. Viewer be warned: this is a non-standard movie, but certainly interesting. I’m still not sure of my opinions. I’m very mixed. To understand the trip, one has to watch it for themselves.

Here is a link to a video of part of the trip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FINU71FyMto&feature=related