My Own Private Idaho (1991)

Film: My Own Private Idaho

Director: Gus Van Sant

Country: USA

Released: September 1991

Runtime: 102 minutes

Genre: Indie Film

Studio: Fine Line Features / New Line Cinema

Influenced: Kevin Smith, Harmony Korine, Larry Clark, Xavier Dolan, Todd Haynes

Gus Van Sant is arguably the greatest director of films about teenage life, from My Own Private Idaho and Good Will Hunting (1997) to Elephant (2003) and Paranoid Park (2007). He was also a pioneer of independent and queer cinema and, with My Own Private Idaho, we see the confluence of all these various strands of his work. Van Sant's vision for the film was to merge the stories of several key Shakespeare characters – notably Falstaff and Prince Hal (the young Henry V) – with the lives of contemporary street hustlers in the Pacific Northwest, who live a transient existence on the margins of society. The film has become well-known and well-loved for its innovative storytelling, unique visual style and powerful performances by its cast, particularly River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves.

The film follows the journey of two young street hustlers, Mike Waters (River Phoenix) and Scott Favor (Keanu Reeves), as they navigate the gritty and harsh streets of Portland, Oregon. Mike is a narcoleptic and the film begins with him searching for his estranged mother. Scott, who comes from a wealthy family, chooses to live on the streets voluntarily, rejecting his father and his privileged upbringing. The story is divided into episodic segments, each showcasing different aspects of their lives and adventures. Their paths cross with various eccentric characters, including Budd (Flea) and Bob Pigeon (William Richert), the latter a Falstaffian mentor figure for Scott and the owner of an underground Shakespearean theatre troupe. Throughout the film, Mike's love for Scott is a central theme, as he pines for a romantic connection that Scott is unable to reciprocate fully.

This unrequited love, and desire for belonging, plays out in the film's key campfire scene, which River Phoenix rehearsed multiple times, seeing it as his chance to shine in the film. The scene showcases the vulnerability of the characters with Mike, who usually keeps his emotions guarded, expressing his longing for a deeper romantic connection, while Scott discusses his complex feelings about his privileged background and desire to confront his own conflicted emotions and choices. Inspired by the likes of legendary English director Derek Jarman, Van Sant was a pioneer of the New Queer Cinema, and the film is raw and unfiltered in its portrayal of the gritty reality of street hustling, including encounters with clients, dangerous situations and the camaraderie among hustlers (in both Portland and Rome).

Van Sant also creates a surreal and dreamlike atmosphere in the film, especially during Mike's recurring narcoleptic episodes, which blur the line between dreams and reality. Van Sant has cited the influence of Werner Herzog’s Heart of Glass (1976), especially in the use of timelapse shots of clouds passing over mountains and the stunning scenic landscape shots of Oregon. Other innovative moments include the way Van Sant films the sex scenes, using a montage of shots of the lovers in various positions, and the sequence featuring the talking models on the covers of gay magazines. I also love the scene featuring Udo Kier as Hans, performing his song Der Adler with a lampshade. My Own Private Idaho is now often cited as a landmark film in queer cinema for its sensitive portrayal of a gay relationship in a time when such representations were rare. It also arguably features River Phoenix's greatest screen performance before his untimely death, and I recommend James Franco's edit of outtake footage from the film, My Own Private River (2011), which is a loving homage to the actor and the movie.