Black Dance

A scathing story that examines the terror and loss of identity, Huston's (Fault Lines) vivisection of the human condition is both philosophically rich and emotionally satisfying. Dying screenwriter Milo Noirlac tells his life story to his film director lover, Paul, revealing Milo's heritage through his recollections of his ancestors' lives and stories. From Indian prostitute Awinita, Milo's addict mother, to disillusioned Irish poet Neil Kerrigan, his grandfather, memories trace the impulsive decisions that resulted in Milo's failed marriage and bouts of depression. In the "Gingare," the dance of life, Milo finds both liberation and tragedy, and, in the last stage of his life, finally accepts his fate. Empathy and sardonic humor charge this self-reflective life story, as does the the relationship between life and art; and Huston's cast of characters, rendered through Milo's imaginings, vividly blur the lines of his fading perception: "All the voices have been yours since the beginning. They've always been your consolation and salvation." Resisting simplistic clarification, Huston depicts a complicated life full of shortcomings and triumphs, and ultimately shows art's freeing power to let loose secrets locked by the conscious mind. (Sept.)