This 1999 no-budgeter, the directorial debut of Carl Bessai (EMILE), had the distinction of being the first Canadian film lensed according to the dictates of the Lars von Trier-Thomas Winterberg created Dogma 95 manifesto (although JOHNNY wasn’t actually certified as a Dogma 95 film due to the fact that Trier and Winterberg, according to Bessai, wanted $3,000 for the privilege, and “doesn’t $3,000 buy a lot of lunches?”). The Dogma restrictions had agreeable results, with JOHNNY excelling in an area 1990s Canadian filmmakers didn’t do particularly well: urban grunge (see 1990’s H, which amateurishly dramatized heroin addiction, and 1995’s RUDE, a fumbled attempt at hood drama).
JOHNNY (1999) Full Movie
The setting is downtown Toronto, where the charismatic sociopath Johnny (Chris Martin) plays pied piper to a band of youngsters on the snowy streets. Johnny pretends to be homeless, but in actuality lives with his mentally ill mother (Kyra Harper) in a borderline-incestuous dynamic. He has a seductive manner that’s tough and vulnerable by turns, and which proves irresistible to his adherents; “I’ll do anything for you, Johnny,” is a common refrain.
When his cohort Albert (Clinton Walker) acquires a camcorder from a pawn shop, Johnny quickly becomes obsessed with it. He designates Sean (Kris Lemche), a displaced Vancouverite, the cameraman, and under Johnny’s direction Sean films the group stealing, picking fights and harassing passing motorists. Sean also makes sure to capture Johnny having sex with his girlfriend Dell (Vanessa Shaver).
The latter is the younger sister of Alice (Gema Zamprogna), who’s been impregnated by Johnny. Alice sees through his façade but is powerless to keep the others from falling under Johnny’s spell. This is a problem, as Johnny’s filmmaking infatuation leads to him pimping out Dell and seducing the male members of his troupe in order to improve his self-created films. It all comes down to a “FINAL SCENE” in a video store, whose owner (Hrothgar Mathews) got Johnny’s friend Albert (Clinton Walker) incarcerated. In this setting more than one near-death (Dogma rule #6: “Murders, weapons, etc. must not occur”) is in store.
JOHNNY’s narrative drive is quite loose, powered by heavily improvised dialogue (with many randomly inserted “fucks”) and unvarnished urban locales (Dogma rule #1: “No sets or props are allowed”). In keeping with the verité air, the video camera images were shot with available light (Dogma rule #7: “Special lighting is not allowed”) by the actors; the results are intercut with the “real” footage, filmed by Bessai and cinematographer John Westheuser in constantly roving handheld fashion (Dogma rule #3: “The camera must be handheld”).
The finished film is, surprisingly enough, quite compelling, with the towering lead performance of Chris Martin an immeasurable asset, although the final scenes are problematic. In those scenes the formerly impeccable sense of documentary realism is marred by a plot contrivance that has Alice, despite having broken with Johnny and her sister, somehow taking part in the video store set climax.
That complaint aside, JOHNNY’s portrayal of power and gullibility in a teenage milieu place it in the company of THE TODD KILLINGS (1971) and BULLY (2001). It also offers a provocative take on directorial hubris (with Johnny, according to Bessai, inspired by the notorious German filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder) that doesn’t come close to matching, but at least approaches, PEEPING TOM (1960). High praise indeed.
Vital Statistics
JOHNNY
Blackwatch Releasing/Raven Media
Director/producer/Screenplay: Carl Bessai
Cinematography: John Westheuser
Editing: Manfred Becker
Cast: Chris Martin, Gema Zamprogna, Kris Lemche, Vanessa Shaver, Clinton Walker, Rainbow Sun Francks, Daniel Enright, Kyra Harper, Hrothgar Mathews, Sabrina Grdevich