Mouth Music - Blaine Dunlap, Sol Korine

Film by Blaine Dunlap, Sol Korine
Produced by Blaine Dunlap, Sol Korine
Cinematographer: Blaine Dunlap
Editing: Blaine Dunlap
Copyright: 1981, Sol Korine, Blaine Dunlap
25 minutes, Color
Original format: 3/4 tape, 1981

Mouth Music

Mouth Music is a short documentary that can be seen as a research into the a cappella singing tradition in the American South. With various styles like Hollerin', the Nonsense Song, boot-camp songs and jumprope songs you get a pretty clear view of what the title is all about. On the other hand, covering all these different styles in half an hour gives the documentary a bit of a fragmented feel.

But there is much to enjoy. Especially the authentic Hollers are a pleasure to watch and listen to. The Hollerin' can be seen as a means of communication in the middle of the swamps, but with traffic noise coming closer it is almost impossible for the men to communicate this way anymore.
This makes it a sort of a time stamp, and quite important for those who are interested.

Sol Korine, one of the directors, is indeed Harmony "Gummo" Korine's father. Mouth Music shines a new light on Harmony's cinema.
And for those who are known with Herzog's Stroszek: watch out for the death rattle auctioning.