Louisiana Story

1948 1h 18m EN

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 51

AdventureDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Cajun boy Alexander Napoleon Ulysses LaTour lives with his family and his beloved pet raccoon in the Louisiana bayou. When his father allows an oil barge to drill on their land, the boy questions the process and its safety.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Joseph Boudreaux
The Boy
Lionel Le Blanc
His Father
E. Bienvenu
His Mother
Frank Hardy
The Driller
C.P. Guedry
His Boilerman

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Robert Flaherty
Writers: Frances H. Flaherty, Robert Flaherty
Languages: English, French
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 78-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.3M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

78 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Robert Flaherty, shot by Richard Leacock. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Virgil Thomson. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Helen van Dongen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Robert Flaherty directs. Richard Leacock behind the camera. Virgil Thomson scores. Helen van Dongen cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 78-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Shot for just $0.3M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
378 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
4Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.
5Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
6Directed by Robert Flaherty, shot by Richard Leacock. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Original score by Virgil Thomson. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
8Editor Helen van Dongen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
9Joseph Boudreaux and Lionel Le Blanc and E. Bienvenu carry the top of the cast.
10IMDB entry: tt0040550 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Only 51 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
12Classified under 14 themes, including "propaganda", "alligator", "louisiana", "bayou".

The technical file

Cinematography: Richard Leacock
Original score: Virgil Thomson
Editing: Helen van Dongen
Sound: Dick Vorisek
Runtime: 78 min · 1h 18m
Status: Released
Budget: $258,000
Original language: EN
IMDB: Louisiana Story (1948)

Awards

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Robert Flaherty

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-11-20
★ 7/10
This has a definite documentary feel to it as we follow the laconic activities of a young boy (Joseph Boudreaux) on the bayou. He lives with his folks but spends most of his time in his boat playing on the water, catching arms-length catfish and occasionally rather recklessly trying to capture an alligator - all watched by his raccoon who usually has the sense to stay on dry land. One day he heads downstream and encounters some men who are working on a newly arrived oil rig. They are friendly enough, impressed by his fishing skills, and are quite happy to indulge his curiosity. As they progress though, he begins to realise that their presence on his river could potentially alter the balance of his life and it's relationship with the natural surroundings for ever - especially if the well hits the lucrative sticky black stuff. It is a bit slow, but somehow that serves to well reflect the pace of the lad's life and quite effectively maximises the impact of the encroaching industrialisation on him and his parents. The photography illustrates the wildlife and simplicity of his life and the paucity of dialogue leaves much of the heavy lifting to the imagery and to our own imagination. A 1940s NIMBY scenario, perhaps - especially given there were very few to object in a nation craving for oil for it's burgeoning car ownership and energy consumption demands. It's a gentle watch, but has a potent impact.

Production companies