Director David Gordon Green made a very interesting decision when making Prince Avalanche– he gambled. After previous successes with major studio films like Pineapple Express and The Sitter, Green wanted to get his “indie-cred” back, and so he made Prince Avalanche in secret. On his own, Green contacted his actor friends Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch, and with their blessing, Prince Avalanche commenced production. In fact, no one knew about the project until it had already wrapped.
Rudd (This is 40) and Hirsch (Into the Wild) play Alvin and Lance, respectively, two men struggling with individual emotional issues. Alvin is high-strung and stuffy while Lance is immature and reckless and throughout the film, the guys discover that they can learn from each other. The film opens on a deserted highway, miles from any city or town, with its surroundings burned to the ground. Alvin and Lance appear with equipment geared to paint traffic lines down the interstate highway and from there, the film takes off.
The roles of Alvin and Lance forced Rudd and Hirsch out of their comfort zones, which was appreciated by the audience. Both characters were written as performance-driven pieces and are engaging to watch on-screen. This “Odd Couple” dynamic between Rudd and Hirsch is, I believe, some of their best work as actors. There are only four speaking parts in the entire film and about 90% of them come from Rudd and Hirsch, which would have made the film incredibly painful if they were not being 100% genuine.
I have to hand it to Green: the way he executed the film, this “slow and steady wins the race” mentality gives this indie drama its niche.
The story takes it’s time to develop and while it’s not the most energizing film to watch, it is visually striking. The camera acts as the audience, the shots are not contrived or forced, but rather simple and melodic. It’s as if the camera is purely observing the moment as opposed to creating it. The beautiful cinematography by Timothy Orr should win awards- it makes even the most barren landscape look desirable. Aided with the perfect soundtrack from Explosions in the Sky, Prince Avalanche can be regarded as a visual work of art.
Prince Avalanche would have made a fantastic short film, but as a feature, my only critique is that it seemed to drag a bit. Although I have to hand it to Green: the way he executed the film, this “slow and steady wins the race” mentality gives this indie drama its niche. The slow storyline also works with the environment of the film, a burned down forest in the middle of Texas is going nowhere fast, just like Alvin and Lance. As the forest begins to bloom again throughout the film and nature rejuvenates, it’s a reminder to the characters that no matter what loss or devastation one faces, there’s always a chance for new beginnings.
