Synopsis
Set among the cane fields of rural Louisiana, Burning Cane follows a deeply religious mother struggling to reconcile her convictions of faith with the love she has for her troubled son.
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Cast
- Wendell PierceReverend Tillman
- Karen Kaia LiversHelen Wayne
- Dominique McClellanDaniel Wayne
- Braelyn KellyJeremiah Wayne
- Emyri CrutchfieldSherry Bland
- Erika WoodsDianne
Recommendations
- 100
RogerEbert.com
God is destined to forever be a complicated subject for most mortals, yet there’s no question this film has made me a believer in the boundless artistic potential of its creator. - 90
The New York Times
Burning Cane is short and difficult. It does not aspire to entertain. Its realism is shot through with a constant dull ache. - 75
IndieWire
For all these striking moments, Burning Cane can’t shake the feeling of a sketchbook loaded with ideas that could use more fleshing out. - 75
The Playlist
The restraint with which Youmans characterizes is refreshing, but the performances can also feel diminished by inscrutable elements, whether that’s missing narrative context or simply parts of scenes that are simply hard to see or hear entirely. Still, Burning Cane would be an impressive debut at any age, showing a distinct style, a suggestive eye for setting and detail, and an admirable willingness to experiment. - 75
Chicago Tribune
The film favors more subtly melancholy strains and, at its best, a poetic touch. - 75
The Film Stage
It deserves every accolade and opportunity received due to its unrelenting authenticity and complex themes. - 70
Screen Daily
It takes more than simply celebrating rural life and marveling at nature to make someone the next David Gordon Green, let alone the next Terrence Malick. While Yeomans inarguably finds something significant in the slow pace of small towns, the power of narration and the jolt of handheld cinematography, exactly what that is isn’t always clear. In fact, sometimes it’s literally unclear; shots slip out of focus, and some close-ups are so poorly lit the characters’ features disappear. - 70
The Hollywood Reporter
A Faulknerian look at domestic violence, self-destructiveness and faith set in a small Louisiana town, its cinematic style owes something to Terrence Malick — though this spare, 77-minute debut has none of the meandering self-indulgence of that auteur's recent work.
