Sep. 29, 2010 - Issue #780 : Dave Stone
Music from the Big House
Perhaps by definition, the blues is synonymous with crime and the suffering it causes. What better destination for a blues pilgrimage, then, than the Louisiana State Maximum Security Penitentiary—known locally as the infamous Angola Prison. On her journey down Highway 61, Canadian blues singer Rita Chiarelli found an open and raw form of the blues within the prison's walls—music remains the focus of this documentary, and rightly so: many of the prisoners are truly talented musicians, and Rita's gravelly voice was made for the blues. However, politics can't help but enter a film whose setting is a penitentiary and main subjects are convicts. Big House does a commendable job in attempting to remain open and honest about the nature of its subjects; however, when Chiarelli voices her internal struggle, regarding these men as both fellow musicians and convicted felons, it is clear that hers is a sympathetic ear. Despite one's personal convictions, it is inspiring to see the correctional system portrayed in a fresh manner, and there's no doubt that Big House will stay with you.4
Music from the Big HouseOpens Fri, Oct 1 (8 pm), Empire Cinemas in City Centre.
Directed by: Bruce McDonald
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