The Whole Shootin Match

The Whole Shooting Match was an interesting film as part of the Texas Independent FIlm Network series. Significantly it was an influencing factor in the creation of the Sundance Institute, and the prints of the film were lost for many years. While I'm well-aware of old film reels and German cinema disappearing and considered "lost" from the beginning of the 20th century, it was surprising to me to hear that a more recent film has the same fate. Fortunately however a print was found, and it was a pleasure tohave experienced the film with the star, Sonny Carl Davis. The film itself seems to be a personal vision from the director Eagle Pennel about what it meant to be a white, male, heterosexual Texan living in that era. While most of the story involves slice-of-life moments, including getting in a bar fight, discussions with the wife over money problems, and going hunting with the best friend, it has a considerable amount of humor and an articulate understanding of this context.

Additionally the film is incredibly fluid and a perfect example of independent filmmaking at that time. It's not a Hollywood production-- it was shot in Texas, and the camera is often handheld. A lot of the actors' performances are also improvisational at many points, and Sonny Carl Davis pointed out that the director had a series of notes and that the actors would rehearse to the vision of the director.