Southland Tales is a [[2008]] film by [[Richard Kelly]]. | Writer | Director | Cinematographer | Composer | Editor | | ----------------- | ----------------- | --------------- | -------- | --------- | | [[Richard Kelly]] | [[Richard Kelly]] | Steven Poster | [[Moby]] | Sam Bauer | This is my Southland Tales wiki, it contains a wealth of information about the characters, subplots, and the different versions. Essentially entirely spoilers, but even knowing all this the film is still way out there. Please send additional info, assets, resources, questions, and corrections to the contact form linked on the main page. # Notability Southland Tales is [[Richard Kelly]]'s second feature film, following [[Donnie Darko]], where he was given free reign and access to more of Hollywood's resources on the tails of his freshman success. Southland Tales enjoys a small dedicated cult following. ## Personal At the time of its release it was exactly the kind of film I wanted to make. It became my favorite film. I (foolishly) stopped pursuing filmmaking as a result, feeling like that was the best we would ever get of its type. I did not return to the idea of filmmaking until 2019. The film was, in my opinion, the most ambitious [[Absurdist]] film released until 2022's [[Everything Everywhere All at Once]], which succeeded everywhere that Southland Tales failed and is an objectively better film in pretty much every way, even if it does not have the same level of worldbuilding. Regardless, Southland Tales remains my first and most awkward love. From what I understand, many people failed to connect with the comedy due to the dark tone of the setting at the time of release. Considering the dark and deeply absurd world we live in today, I think it is due for more recognition. # Landing Pages - [[Southland Tales - Versions]] - Cuts, Fan Edits, Scripts, Comics - [[Southland Tales - Characters]] - Who's Who in the Southland - [[Southland Tales - Groups]] - Parties and Politics in the Southland - [[Southland Tales - Locations]] - Mapping the Southland - [[Southland Tales - Glossary]] - Understanding the Southland # Themes ## Layers > I want to make sure that we can hold on to the complicated structure because it's very, very thought-out. We spent years designing it, and I think upon first viewing it rushes over you and leaves you in a daze. \- [[Richard Kelly]] as quoted[^1] by [[The Village Voice]] The plot is complicated with many layers and it is easy to get lost or to misinterpret key events. The film is surreal, chaotic, extreme. With a massive ensemble cast of character actors and comedians and pop stars and a wrestler in one of his first leading roles. Every character is connected to nearly every other character through multiple threads. ## Dual Identities Most characters have two or more different identities. Some are so two-faced and multi-faceted that they defy simple explanations entirely. ### Past vs Future Selves The future selves have amnesia and so have forgotten most of who they were, but yet they show their own development and attributes from the time span. As for how far into the future they come from, it is never stated anywhere. One theory is that they actually come from a different dimension, rather than timeline, and while this would explain some things, there is no evidence in Southland Tales itself or other works by Kelly that would back up this interpretation. See [[#The Fourth Dimension]] for more. ### Multiple Lovers Several characters are cheating on each other or make sexual advances towards others. Other than [[Madeline]]'s brief outburst at the [[Smallhouse Mansion]] and [[Bobby]]'s "orgy" comment towards the end of the film, no one ever addresses this or seems to find it odd. It seems it is only an issue if it publicized. ## Forgiveness Forgiveness is a textual theme which synergizes with the new testament messianic themes in the filmed version. The forgiveness ending was introduced late in production and is not present in the [[Southland Tales 2005 Draft]]. That draft instead had a downer ending where all of existence is annihilated. # Production Principle photography began August 15, 2005. According to the [[Southland Tales - Bibliography#AVClub Interview|AVClub Interview]], principle photography was just 24 days. Accounts differ about if production lasted for 30 or 40 days, because some parts like the 4th of July party in Abilene, [[Zora]]'s comedy club show, and [[Krysta]]'s talk show and music video were all filmed ahead of principle photography. ## Script See [[Southland Tales - Versions#Scripts]] ## Film, Cameras, & Lenses Southland Tales was primarily filmed on 35mm film. The "home video" segment was filmed on Sony HD digital cameras, wielded by actual children being given direction by Kelly and co. ## Multimedia > Richard Kelly, director of _Donnie Darko_, announced today that he would be writing a series of graphic novel prequels prior to the release of his next movie, _Southland Tales_. Beginning in the first quarter of 2006, six 100-page graphic novels, all written by Kelly, will be released. The comics lead directly into the film, which serves as the final act. \- [[IGN]] article[^2] from 2005 Only three [[Southland Tales - Versions#Graphic Novels|graphic novels]] were published, out of the originally planned six chapters of the [[Prequel Saga]]. Kelly has since said that he underestimated the amount of work, and that it had to be cut down because it was exhausting working on so many projects (film and graphic novels) in parallel. > It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, making those books while trying to do the movie. It almost killed me, but that which does not kill you makes you stronger, I guess. I pushed myself to the edge of my own sanity, but luckily I’m still here. I don’t know if I’d ever try to do that much again, in terms of books and a movie tied together. \- [[Richard Kelly]] in an interview[^3] with PASTE Magazine The third and final graphic novel overlaps heavily with the beginning of the film. > The original draft was written just before 9-11, and it was about blackmail and a porn star and two cops. It was more about making fun of Hollywood. But now it's about, I hope, creating a piece of science fiction that's about a really important problem we're facing, about civil liberties and homeland security and needing to sustain both those things and balance them. The problem is very complicated—hence the nature of the narrative. \- [[Richard Kelly]] as quoted[^1] by [[The Village Voice]] The first [[Southland Tales 2001 Draft|draft of the screenplay]] that has been leaked is from 2001 and has numerous differences from the later versions. ## Production Issues While Southland Tales didn't have the same level of production trouble as other films such as [[The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnasus]] (where the lead actor died before its completion) it still had its share of hurdles. It seems like the [[Southland Tales 2005 Draft|2005 Draft]]'s 130 pages were trimmed down to just 90 by the time filming began. > the script got pared down to 90 pages. But the movie we made is not 90 pages long \- Richard Kelly, [[Southland Tales Production Notes Q1 2006]] This is probably why [[Krysta|Geller]] said that only around 90 pages were "filmed", as that was the length of the [[Southland Tales Shooting Script|Shooting Script]]. But in the end, far more footage was filmed than described in those 90 pages, and included lines and scenes not found in any prior draft either. Despite that, many other important scenes were not able to be filmed at all due to the low budget and tight schedule that constrained various actors, particularly [[Pilot|Justin Timberlake]]. They only had a single day to film with [[Pilot]]'s actor. This creates a series of gaps in the film, where [[Pilot]] is never on screen with [[Roland]]. A flashback between the two could have made a huge difference in the audience's understanding of the film. Instead, there is a huge info dump via narration, a cavalcade of stock images, and crops of the [[Prequel Saga|graphic novels]] in the [[Southland Tales Theatrical Cut]]. Even then, the audience is pretty much expected to have read 300+ pages of the [[Prequel Saga]] in order to make sense of anything. I think that these obviously missing pieces contribute massively to the sense of surrealism in the film. But had they been present, it would have been four hours long. It seems pretty clear to me that Kelly wanted to make a trilogy and very nearly figured out a way to film it all in one go. The team decided to submit an "unfinished" (according to Kelly) version to the Cannes film festival, where it received a massively negative reaction. I think that Kelly hoped the film festival would bring in more funds to help finish the film, instead it marooned the film on a desert island. From what I understand, it was mostly film students that ended up taking on the task of working to add the [[Doomsday Scenario Interface]] into what became the theatrical release a year after it's intended release date. These students were underpaid, if they were compensated at all. > Thomas Tannenberger is our visual f/x supervisor, and he formed a new company after Cannes called Gradient. They're right down on Abbot Kinney in Venice Beach. They've been great. Everyone... everyone stopped getting paid on this movie a long time ago. I think the people who've worked on this movie have probably lost money - not overall, but... they've given their time and they want to see it through to the very end. They put their art into it, and they want it to be great. Our visual f/x guys have really bent over backwards. \- [[Richard Kelly]] in an interview[^4] with Jeremy Smith of CHUD.com > We have no money and we need art students to come in and work for free.” So we found these two wonderful art students. One was named Chris Bayol, and then another art student named Shane Paugh. > > \[Paugh (now credited as Shane Strickman) is a visual effects producer for HBO’s Euphoria, while Bayol is deputy head of CG for media studio The Mill.—Ed.\] \- [[Richard Kelly]] and editor's note in an interview[^5] with AVClub - [[Southland Tales - Plot Holes]] # Easter Eggs This film is so incredibly dense on every frame that it is impossible to take it all in on the first viewing. Or perhaps even the tenth. Many many frames of the film contain words, numbers, and artwork which allude to something else but are never addressed. Some of them are just in universe references. Some are foreshadowing which is only noticeable on repeat viewings. Others are references to real world events. # Resources - [[Priscilla Elliott]]'s portfolio - https://web.archive.org/web/20071014211134/http://martinmercer.com:80/ - (concept art/storyboards) - http://www.roncobb.net/40-Southland_Tales.html - http://www.jkfineart.com/flag-series # References - [[Southland Tales - Bibliography]] ## Footnotes [^1]: https://web.archive.org/web/20080705172405/https://www.villagevoice.com/film/0622,peranson,73376,20.html from 2006 after the disastrous Cannes showing [^2]: https://web.archive.org/web/20071117023825/http://comics.ign.com/articles/636/636781p1.html [^3]: https://www.pastemagazine.com/article/catching-up-with-richard-kelly from 2007 [^4]: https://web.archive.org/web/20071115085635/http://www.chud.com/index.php?type=interviews&id=11216 [^5]: [[Southland Tales - Bibliography#AVClub Interview]]