Sanity, it seems, thrives in the mundane. A balanced life is often considered the key to mental well-being. However, for some, the ordinary is simply not an option. Dominic Murphy’s compelling film “White Lightnin'” delves into the complexities of a fractured mind, using the electrifying and often chaotic life of Jesco White, an Appalachian trailer park resident and dancing folk hero, as its focal point. Jesco White, “the Dancing Outlaw,” has inspired countless alt-country songs and embodies a raw, untamed spirit. This film offers a re-imagined glimpse into his tumultuous existence, culminating in a fictionalized descent into madness and murder – a path that could have tragically materialized had his inner demons completely consumed him. Murphy describes his film as a “dark fairy story that considers a mind totally out of control,” a narrative cocktail infused with hillbilly dance, biker gangs, the unrestrained energy of trailer park living, and even a touch of Carrie Fisher.
Certain pockets of the American South have cultivated a reputation for eccentricity, and Jesco “The Dancing Outlaw” White stands as a prime example. His psyche was profoundly impacted early in life by substance abuse, including gas sniffing and heroin use, further eroded by years spent in and out of correctional facilities and psychiatric hospitals. His life story includes numerous confrontations with law enforcement and the agonizing events of his son’s kidnapping and his father’s murder – a trauma from which the film’s Jesco never recovers. Yet, amidst the turmoil, Appalachian mountain dancing remains a constant thread, a skill passed down through generations of White men. This unique dance form involves maintaining a cool demeanor while seemingly flailing one’s limbs to the rhythm of hillbilly music. Even today, Jesco White continues to perform sporadically, touring and maintaining a MySpace presence where he shares vintage videos, including one featuring country music icon Cousin Emmy performing “You Are My Sunshine” using the whimsical sounds of a deflating balloon, accompanied by Pete Seeger on guitar. Pure, unadulterated eccentricity.
The real-life Jesco White possesses a captivating originality. Ed Hogg, who portrays Jesco in “White Lightnin’,” observed that Jesco “seems to burn brighter than those around him when you meet him in the flesh.” In moments of calm, he embodies the persona of a Southern gentleman, devoutly religious and a dedicated father to his many children. He also navigates various alter egos, seamlessly transitioning between them. He embodies Elvis Presley, donning the King’s attire and re-recording Elvis’s classics in his makeshift “home studio”—a simple tape recorder suspended by a string in his living room. Occasionally, he even channels the iconic Marilyn Monroe.
When Jesco’s temper flares, it manifests differently from his film counterpart. His real-life outbursts are characterized more by sarcasm and a glorious irreverence rather than violent rage. A notable incident occurred when county authorities denied burial to one of his numerous uncles in the local cemetery. In response, Jesco purchased a ride-on lawnmower, doused it in gasoline, drove it into the morgue, and set it ablaze, creating, as the story goes, quite a commotion.
However, while the genuine Jesco White has managed to hold onto a semblance of light, the cinematic Jesco teeters precariously on the edge, ultimately succumbing to the darkness. He is consumed by anger and unable to reconcile with his father’s brutal murder at the hands of two antagonists who dragged the old man to his death behind a pickup truck. This rage, coupled with intense jealousy, becomes the catalyst for the disintegration of his marriage to Cilia (played by Carrie Fisher), a refined Southern Belle. “We simply took Jesco’s temper in real life to its logical extreme,” explains director Dominic Murphy. This “extreme” translates to the graphic murders of his father’s killers and a law enforcement officer who obstructs his path of vengeance.
Ed Hogg’s portrayal of Jesco is a compelling blend of Charles Manson and a demonic sibling to Neil Diamond. Dressed in a shimmering black shirt, his frenetic dancing captivates audiences in rough-and-tumble bars. Yet, temper and jealousy are critical flaws in his volatile character. In one scene, he leaps from the stage, attacking a man who dares to flirt with his wife, nearly causing serious harm. Hogg’s performance is lauded for its audaciousness, seamlessly shifting from a soft-spoken Southern charmer to a bloodcurdling, psychotic screamer with impeccable timing. “I felt some sympathy for Dominic’s Jesco,” Hogg admits, “He’s a man who is perpetually pursued by trouble; it relentlessly hounds him.”
“White Lightnin'” marks Ed Hogg’s debut feature film role, following his training at the prestigious National Theatre. “He is a highly skilled and technically proficient actor,” notes Murphy, who had to guide Hogg away from his ingrained need for precise scene pre-planning. Such meticulousness would hinder the spontaneity essential for a role that naturally lends itself to the more improvisational “method” acting approach, although distinctly un-British. “Method acting involves training oneself to access and embody an emotional state, whereas British actors often focus on representing emotion. I intentionally avoided physically rehearsing scenes with him, inducing a sense of anxiety that, in turn, fueled the rage in his performance.”
The film paints a grim picture of its setting, perhaps exotically vibrant to an outsider, but rendered by Murphy in muted, rusty tones. This color palette evokes a sense of malaise, akin to the feeling of irreversible despair, where all color seems to drain away. This pervasive atmosphere permeates the film, suggesting that hell is not a distant place but a looming presence, its embers dimming one’s perception.
Amidst the film’s somber hues and violence, a religious undercurrent emerges, portraying a tension between devout belief and dismissive indifference. In one scene, Jesco inquires about Cilia’s destination as she leaves their trailer. “To church,” she replies, her tone suggesting it’s a chore she’d rather avoid. Yet, paradoxically, after the murders, Jesco seeks refuge in a remote Appalachian cabin, engaging in self-punishment and seeking redemption. The film’s final shot depicts him lying in a field in a crucifixion-like pose as “Amazing Grace” plays, creating a powerful and ambiguous conclusion.
Ed Hogg interprets these final scenes as depicting “a man attempting to find equal footing with his God.” In many respects, it is an act of self-flagellation, an attempt to endure the pain he has inflicted upon others. It suggests an inevitable reckoning with oneself. A person can endure profound suffering without ever being confined to a jail cell; that is punishment in the eyes of the state, but not necessarily in the eyes of the self. The film’s harrowing conclusion posits that a tormented conscience can be its own form of purgatory. Jesco confronts this truth in a solitary mountain cabin, where bloody isolation becomes a form of mental cleansing.
Ultimately, beneath the layers of Jesco White’s persona, Appalachian dance, religious motifs, and the mythos of the American South, lies a universal story of a man teetering on the brink of sanity, not solely enraged by his circumstances but by the relentless onslaught of misfortune. He embodies the archetypal male depressive figure of literature, haunted by the specters of revenge, jealousy, lost love, and the relentless passage of time, driven to the precipice of mania, where, as Hamlet lamented, the world becomes “nothing but a stale promontory, a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours.” Upon reaching such a desolate point, one can either unleash a Jesco-esque outburst of violence upon the world (not recommended) or, like the real Jesco White, one can take a breath, don an Elvis suit, and find solace in the eccentric melodies of Cousin Emmy playing “You Are My Sunshine” on a slowly deflating balloon.
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