The Little 'Prince'
/Prince Avalanche
Directed by: David Gordon Green
Written by: David Gordon Green
Starring: Paul Rudd, Emile Hirsch
A quarter of the way through Prince Avalanche, Alvin (Paul Rudd) comes across an elderly woman, combing through the ashes of her charred home. He engages with her and inquires what she might hope has been spared. For most of us, we would hope to find anything that reminds us of our past - photographs, heirlooms, a wedding band. For the old woman, it's her pilots license. A simple piece of paper that would allow her to continue living her past, not just remember it. For Alvin and his co-worker Lance (Emile Hirsch) the past is not important to them. Though, like an avalanche, it can quickly catch up to you.
Set in 1988 Texas after a forest fire destroyed 43,000 acres of woods, wildlife, and homes, Prince Avalanche follows Alvin and Lance as they repair a long stretch of roadway through the charred forest. Alvin has been doing this work for sometime, enjoying the solitude and the silence it offers. Lance was recently hired, as a favor. He is the brother of Alvin's girlfriend and does not enjoy the solitude and the silence. Alvin is committed to enjoying the wilderness during weekends off. Lance is committed to finding more pussy during his free time. Yet both are lost souls searching for answers in the wrong place. Both are running from their past, towards an invisible future.
The script gives the characters time to breathe, explore their surroundings, and build a relationship with each other. It is a well-done character study of what happens when two opposing forces spend too much time together. How, the open woods can feel suffocating. Neither gets the appeal of the others lifestyle. Lance can't even begin to understand why Alvin would chose to stay far away from his girlfriend. He can't understand that Alvin is running from something, even though Lance is doing the same thing. Their dynamic dramatically propels the film forward. It also provides the comedy. Here, the laughs don't come from jokes, but from situations. The characters are so well-developed (and well played by the two leads) that you are able to laugh and hurt and be frustrated with them instead of at them.
David Gordon Green's directing is contemplative and his pacing pensive. There are visceral montages of forest life which allows you, the audience, a chance to breathe and reflect. The film allows you to feel a day in their life - routine with the sense the unexpected will happen. It's never dull and each piece of the road has it's own unique challenges. When Alvin and Lance are both thrown hurdles, each handle it in their own, childish way. While both feel they have grown up, neither really has. It's part of what they are running from. Yet, it will catch up to you. As the avalanche grows bigger and faster, there is no use in outrunning it. Sometimes you have to face it head on and deal with the consequences. Prince Avalanche handles this reality with honesty and integrity, giving the characters real emotion and treating its audience with respect. Qualities often overlooked amidst the blockbuster explosions of the summer movie season.