If Van Sant has a film that somehow captures the essence of his work, then My Own Private Idaho exhibits many of those qualities. It's a patchwork of influences from high art and underground pop culture (from Shakespeare to Paul Morrissey), a marriage of experimental style and star power, a subversion of genre and a concrete, non-sensationalist example of new cinema queer. The film arguably also crystallized Van Sant's fascination and exploration of masculinity in crisis – particularly young men dazed in the face of an uncertain and often indifferent world. Van Sant's "Lost Boys" is one of the most intriguing and ongoing, if sporadic, projects in modern cinema. And through the tragic beauty and talent of River Phoenix, My Own Private Idaho presents a leading figure in Van Sant's Lost Boys.
If you've seen Van Sant's latest film, "Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot," then you've witnessed the talent of Joaquin Phoenix. While you're here, check out Fandor's latest videos, like The Pure and Singular Magic of Robin Williams, "The Dark Knight" Still Shines Bright, and Purring and Whirring with Paul Verhoeven.
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