Honeydripper: Review By Fallenlords

1950. Rural Alabama. Cotton harvest. It’s a make-or-break weekend for the Honeydripper Lounge and its owner, piano player Tyrone “Pine Top” Purvis.

I had it in my head that this film was based around the history of ‘Rock n Roll’, or something. Why I thought that I don’t know. I suppose Boogie Woogie was the forerunner to this in a way, so it has something to do with the roots. But considering the film gives the impression of it being about music, all in all it has little to do with music. In fact there is a distinct lack of music.

To be honest this film isn’t about much at all. Tyrone Purvis (Danny Glover) is trying to keep his club the 'Honeydripper' afloat in the 1950’s under the mounting pressures of debt, gangsters, an opposing club and a seemingly unfriendly Sheriff (Stacy Keach).

He comes up with a plan with the aid of his partner Maceo (Charles S. Dutton) to get in a talent called ‘Guitar Sam’ who has been on the radio. He figures with the end of the harvest and the end of recruit training at the military base he will draw a big enough crowd to settle all of his problems. But his problems are only just starting.

I don’t know what to make of this film. The cinematography was good, the settings looked realistic and the characters were likeable. Yet it did lack a sense of purpose. I don’t know what it was trying to show me. In a way I saw how segregation was in effect in the USA around that time, but I have seen that before in better films. I didn’t get the sense this was what this film was about.

I did perceive this film, before viewing, to be about music but it wasn’t about that either. The music ended up being a very small part, more to do with the finale than anything.

All it seemed to be about was a man trying to keep his club afloat by hook or by crook. But then as no real events happen, it does almost feel like you are just watching the daily life of somebody as a casual observer.

You just see the lives of the people concerned. Picking cotton, working in-service, the general realities of the day yet no real statements are being made, or if they are I didn't pick up on them. Obviously the characters are all connected in some way, but certain events don't seem to be that connected with the story.

I suppose one statement it could make, if any statement was being attempted, is that the Entrepreneurial spirit was around then as it is now. Where there is a will there is in essence always a way.

But I didn’t get anything from this film, a couple of chuckles, a vaguely interesting look at life in the 1950’s and that was about it. There were no real feel good moments, which is what I expected.