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THE WIND
Produced by Michael Mongillo, Carolyn Camburn, and Tarylor Warren
Directed by Michael Mongillo
Written by James Charbonneau and Michael Mongillo
Director of Photography - David WexlerMic - Zeke Rippy (in love with girl)
John - Scott Parrish (evil guy)
Billy - Philipp Karner (little guy)
Bob - James Thalman
Clair - Carolyn CamburnTHE WIND is about many things, but first and foremost it's about what it means to be evil. I'm talking 9-11 evil. The kind of senseless evil men do to one another for nothing more than some perversely warped bragging rights. When THE WIND ends, so does all your sense hope. Watching the depths to which these people sink is both frightening and cautionary.
The film opens with Clair sitting in an open field reading a card. Remember that cheerleader in highschool who always looked to smart to be part of the squad? That's Clair. With her Brittany Spear mini skirt and bobbed hair, she's the nice guy's dream girl. You remember the nice guy too, don't you? He's the one your girlfriend always ran to when you couldn't get your act together. Fortunately for you, nice guy equals safe guy. Clair's safe guy is Bob.
I mentioned the card Clair was reading in the field. Picture that Charlie Manson-valentine Mia Farrow gave Woody Allen, only Clair claims this one came straight from Bob. Why would Bob send her this monstrosity? Why should we care, Bob's friends don't. When confronted by Clair with card in hand along with stories of stalking, all Bob's friends want to do is pound him in the next life.
And that they do.
Without so much as asking if the allegations were true, up from depths of soul comes the evil that men do.
Bob's death is not a pretty one. There's nothing glossy or stylized like recent horror efforts Hollywood. His death is long and drawn out, and every bit as agonizing for me as it must have been for him. Watching as Bob begged for his life, confused and sobbing at the betrayal of his friends, my hands trembled as violently as his.
This is powerful stuff.
THE WIND isn't so much about the violence, it's a relatively somber film. Director Michael Mongillo is more concerned about what drives man to the point of violence. Do Bob's friends act on the thought of a little thigh from an attractive woman, or is there something more going on? Sometimes something as meaningless as thigh is all it takes, but that doesn't mean there isn't anything more going on.
The truth is Bob's friends don't know why they took his life. The moment, the girl, and the act are all catalysts to examine what makes us human, and consequently, inhuman. I've always felt the difference lies in how you deal with your actions. Bob's lucky, his story is over. For his friends, the consequences are only beginning.
You can find THE WIND currently playing the occasional festival, but I 100% positive if this is the type of movie that plays better with a full audience. Alone, with the lights off, and allowing time for introspection is how this movie needs to be viewed. Without reflection, much of the depth is lost. It's just that smart, insightful, and damned scary.