Quickcard Review
Sweetgrass
Directed by: Ilisa Barbash, Lucien Castaing-Taylor Cast: John Ahern, Pat Connolly, lots of sheep Running Time: 1 hr 40 min Rating: unrated
COMPLETE COVERAGE - 33rd Portland International Film Festival Country: United States
PLOT: The filmmakers document the final 150 mile trek that two shepherds make, escorting a large amount of sheep through the mountains of Montana.
WHO'S IT FOR? You don't have to love sheep, but it may help. Any documentary fans should enjoy this very entertaining film.
OVERALL
Sweetgrass starts with sheep, which is indicative of what it's about. Two anthropologist/filmmakers direct this film that documents the last trail ride of two shepherds (they seem more like cowboys, maybe sheepboys?) who herd their charges across 150 miles of terrain through the Absaroka-Beartooth Mountains in Montana. The film starts with sheering and lambing, and though humans are present, they rarely speak. Barbash and Castaing-Taylor take a backseat to the action (and sometimes inaction) on screen. There isn't any narration; the filmmakers simply present the action, interspersed with some talk by the people and much bleating by the sheep. Sheep are pretty funny to watch, and though it may sound dull to watch sheep range, they are ornery creatures who seem more interested in running themselves off cliffs than safely arriving anywhere. There's a lot of yelling and cussing, and it seems justified as the sheep - and sometimes the dogs - don't do what they should. But if you get bored with watching sheep make bad decisions, you can always enjoy the scenery, which is really amazing. Sometimes the camera will stay far off so you can get a view of how far afield the sheep can go.
Though the sheep steal the show, there are two shepherds - John and Pat, one an old hand and the other a younger guy - who cajole, curse and push the sheep along the trail. John's the old hand with a grizzled appearance who tends to mumble. He naps when he can and doesn't seem to let anything get to him, unless something tries to attack his sheep. Pat's more irritable; he spends a decent amount of time complaining, cursing and hating the sheep. That said, he really seems to care about his job. I'd like to know what happened to these men after this last ride. Did they change careers or find some other way to eke out a living working on ranches?
Despite Sweetgrass' intended use as a document of a lost institution, it's still very entertaining. It's an interesting journey through a lost way of life.
FINAL SCORE: 7/10