Factotum

Factotum is a quantum movie. Or rather in its efforts to depict the chaotic life of radical writer Charles Bukoska’s autobiographical alter ego Henry Chinaski, the paradoxes and inherent uncertainties of quantum theory seem an apt metaphor.

Hank, like Bukowska is a dedicated alcoholic drifting indifferently through any odd jobs he can con his way into then disdainfully neglect until he is inevitably ‘canned’, spend the pay-off on booze and then ricochet randomly off to repeat the process elsewhere. It is as if, like the theory, through his alcoholic haze Hank sometimes has an idea of where he’s going but isn’t really clear where he actually is. Alternatively he sometimes has sense of where he is, but none at all of where he’s going. Like a particle with no discernible fixed identity, he bounces randomly around the world colliding with people, places and events of which he is part, but in which he makes no stable intentional intervention and to which he displays no discernible interest. This process is constantly re-fuelled by a 24/7 intake of alcohol and nicotine. If this sounds incredible then we should remember that the real Bukowska’s body survived this punishing regime for 74 years until his death in 1994.

If this were all, then Norwegian Director Bent Hamer’s film would not be the absorbing work that it is. For through this fog of alcohol shines the dim light of Hank’s determination to write. Not in the least for its rewards or recognition, but because it forms the nucleus of his fragile identity. And through the excellent use of Hank as narrator, the stark, clinical, austere quality of Bukowski’s writing emerges. This is the poetry of skid row, the unsentimental, unflinching account of life at the margins of normal society about which Hank is entirely indifferent and Bukowsa himself viewed with contempt. There is a brief, doomed, flirtation with the idea that we might have some control over our destiny through Hank’s initially successful foray into betting the horses. Racing I guess offers the illusion that even if God plays with dice, with a bit of determined effort a man might beat the odds. Of course this ends in failure – the house always wins in the end.

The paradox of quantum theory is that the precise and rigorous lucidity of the language of science, expresses a view of the world of matter that is devoid of certainty and inherently rests upon mere probabilities. Similarly Hank’s island of lucidity is the drive to write; to create a meaningful response to a meaningless world. His behaviour is as random and unpredictable as the chaotic, senseless events of the world that provoke it. Yet an urge to coherence emerges through his irresistible drive to write about that world. He has simple appetites: alcohol, nicotine and sex and no moral, emotional scruple gets in the way of satisfying them. He is drawn into transitory friendships and fragile sexual relationships by the basic need to drink, smoke and fuck. The only relationship he has with any semblance of continuity and personal satisfaction is with fellow alcoholic Jan. They share these basics needs and arrive at a kind a stable modus vivendi where they are fully met without having to wander about the world hoping to pick them up in a run down bar. Jan’s predilection for leaping into bed with every random bum she takes a fancy to, the dirtier the better, eventually fractures this sex-of-convenience arrangement. Here Hank packs his bag and leaves with the air of a guy popping out for a night’s bowling rather than walking away from the only half-way stable relationship he’s ever had. This fictional account mirrors Bukowska’s own 10 year relationship with Janet Cooney-Baker also a long-term alcoholic who eventually lost her fight with the booze in 1962.

Hank lives in a down-beat, dead-beat world where his holy trinity of physical appetites are the only distraction from that world to which he is always, by choice, an outsider. The film is visually and aurally dark in tone. Yet through this, Hamer’s screenplay, leaning I suspect heavily on Bukowska’s own writing, cuts clinically and strikingly like a surgeon’s knife making an incision to open up to the unflinching eye, the diseased or damaged part of life that may need surgical repair or excision. This is writing honed to a razor-sharp edge that is simply startling and despite inducing a sense of recoil, exercises a strange fascination. If I have a regret, it is that more might have been made of the occasional moments of darkly ironic humour flashing like flinty sparks out of the sheer absurdity of the many irredeemably hopeless situations Hank stumbles into. I don’t now Bukowska’s work but occasionally in this film Hank’s blurred perspective seems to be a weary “fuck me” in response to the world: at others there is a distinctly “fuck you!” flash of rebellion that engages us much more. If there is much of Hank Chinaski to like we find it here.

Matt Dillon is a revelation and has never for my money done anything remotely in this league before. Lili Taylor is equally convincing as bed and bottle-mate Jan and even manages to tease a kind of pathetic tenderness out of the role. Marisa Tomei is effective as one of Hank’s random, ricochet lays who is locked into a very weird foursome with two female friends and an older man who manipulates sex from all three by funding their booze and basic needs.

Factotum is no nice night out at the movies. Its darkness is as heavy as it context would imply. Yet it is constantly absorbing and thought-provoking. It is immensely successful in portraying the world and experience of an autobiographical character based upon a writer both Jean Genet and Jean-Paul Sartre called “America’s greatest poet” This ‘factotum’, jack-of-all-trades, late in his writing life, by all accounts became master of one. Off-the-wall, in-the-gutter but cinematically on-the-money.

Strange you should mention quantum theory in your review becuase in true wave particle duality fashion there's also a writer called Charles Bukowski who wrote a book called Factotum who also had an alter ego called Henry Chinaski.



Geoff

Geoff.

Apologies - mental block. Not sure where or when the 'a' replaced the 'i' in my brain.

Z

PS

Got it! In the company I have been doing some work for I have been dealing with a teacher Mrs E Bukowska. Spooky thing is she's a Physics teacher!

Thanks for pointing out the mistake.

Z

Apologies for one or two irritatingly sloppy bits of writing in this - especially I cannot believe I wrote 'randomly ricochet' not once but twice in the same piece.

I always have to go on a serious adverb and adjective hunt with my stuff but although I miss a few of the little buggers it takes more than one trip. Should have previewed this a bit more - hope it doesn't spoil the piece.

regards

Z

Hi Zettel,
This was a very interesting way of reviewing the movie. As a great fan of Bukowksi's work, I have to say I didn't really care much for the movie itself. You are right to suggest the humour was underdone, and in the books themselves you can't help but like his Chinaski alter-ego, despite what he gets up to. I think there is a great danger when you are so familiar with someone's writing to expect too much when it is transferred to the screen. Maybe I should watch again with a more open mind! There is quite a bit of 'fuck you' attitude in the film, but in the books I take it to be more of a laid back, "ah whatever, I couldn't give a fuck" slant.
Another movie I'm eager to get my hands on (have tried without fail!) is 'Barfly.' This was made in the eighties, starred Mickey Rourke as Hank, and Bukowski actually wrote the screenplay himself. If anyone could point me in the direction of a copy I would be overjoyed!
Once again Zettel enjoyed the review.
Darren

Without fail? I meant without success, lol!

Thanks for the comment Darren. I'll keep an eye out for Barfly - sounds interesting.

regards

Zettel

Found Barfly on ebay, cheap but vhs only(deleted apparently), currently bidding... Maybe I should post a review later..

Darren

Sounds good. I'd like to see a review

Regards

Z

Darren

Just heard a quote on BBC's Radio 4 Book Programme from Bukowski's the Post Office and coincidentally a poem at the Poetry society. Must look up this guy's work - sounds great.

Guy on the prog said his favourite was 'Ham on Rye' - any recommendations?

regards

Z

Hi Zettel,

Sorry, I'm late picking up on your post. Have you got your hands on anything yet?

I could recommend anything because I'm such a fan. Most of his stuff is autobiographical, 'Ham on Rye' tells of his childhood and is a wonderful read. 'Post Office' is my favourite novel I think, maybe because its the first one I read, and as in Factotem I can empathise with the subject matter, i.e. being stuck in a shitty job you hate.

I just read the novel 'Hollywood' which I thoroughly enjoyed, it's the story of the struggle to get 'Barfly' made. I held off reading that til I'd seen the movie, which by the way is soo different to Factotem. (I should write that review, actually I was thinking of checking out Factotem again so I could do a kind of 'comparison' review.)

There are some great poetry collections although they can be a bit repetitive, especially when it comes to one of his favourite subjects, horse racing.

But my favourites and what I would recommend are his collections of short stories. Two to look for are 'Tales of Ordinary Madness' and 'The Most Beautiful Woman in Town.' A lot of the stories are hilarious, whilst also sad, and some are very near the knuckle, but always original, and he gets away with a lot of stuff no-one else could.

There's a hilarious but scary story in 'The most beautiful woman...' called 'Six Inches' where the MC marries a sexy witch against the advice of his friends (I recently ripped off this hook for one of my stories!), the witch is disgusted in his slobby, bloated appearance and insists he loses weight, she puts a spell on him and over time he shrinks and shrinks til eventually he's only 6 inches tall. Guess what she uses him as...?

So yeah, the novels are great, ('Pulp' another good one, bit of a Raymond Chandler piss take) but I tend to favour the short stories.

All the best,

Darren.

Thanks Darren

Been a bit busy but your info will help me choose. Chandler's an interesting comparison -some of Bukowski's stuff sounds a bit like Chandler on a downer. But is the sheer pared back austerity of the writing that intrigues.

Cheers

Z