Returning home is an important theme shown in "My Own Private Idaho" *Spoiler alert

Thoroughly indie style and the overwhelming freedom that resides therein

Although he had the help of Hollywood, Van Sant stuck to the same independent production style as his previous two films. First, I decided to shoot in my hometown of Portland. As fans know, this work is called the "Portland Trilogy" along with " Maranoche " and "Drugstore Cowboy ." This is also a story that reflects the reality of the streets of Portland at the time. Some of the people who appear in the film are boys who live as male prostitutes on the streets, and there are scenes in the film that look like a documentary interview with them.

The drama is also developed with an emphasis on reality. ``If I were a male prostitute, how would I live here? What would I laugh at, what would I think about, and how would I spend my time?'' - Van Sant thought about this when constructing the drama. On the other hand, the actors were allowed to ad-lib and were filmed speaking in their own words.

"My Own Private Idaho" (c) 1991 New Line Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Taking advantage of the low budget, the staff created one memorable scene after another. For example, there is a scene in which characters are placed on the cover models of gay magazines lined up in stores and speak to them. It's a scene that could easily be created with CG composition now, but back then CG was expensive. The staff came up with a method of pasting magazine logos and letters on the mirror, then showing the actors on it and having them say their lines. This scene was possible because it was an indie film that required some ingenuity. Furthermore, Van Sant's idea for sexual depictions was a unique way of connecting shots that imitated still images. All of them are original and stick in the mind of the viewer.

The theme of the movie is "freedom," but the actors acted freely and the staff were able to stretch their creativity to the limit. "This is a hardcore indie film made in a world isolated from the rest. I've never felt so free on set before," recalls Eric A. Edwards, one of the cinematographers. ing.

What River Phoenix brought to you