Initially I was not into this movie (too much Elvis appreciation for my taste), a slice of impoverished life in rural 50s South, but as Hounddog developed, the symmetry throughout the movie became clear & it impressed me. Chilling how a free girl is constantly sexualized for just being a normal, preteen kid curiously & confidently striding through her neighborhood. Her grandmother suspects her innocent interaction with her male best friend & calls any normal activity “evil,” & ultimately everyone’s sexualizing leads to a denouement that creates confusion for her so she becomes silent when faced with sexual violence as if she invited the violence upon herself–a little girl dancing– & does not seek help from anyone because she is probably right–she would have been blamed.
It was like the whole world was screaming to her: “Stop being you.” I liked how it also changed the boy in subtle ways–inducting him into the male world, but also harming & limiting him. And though there was a magical negro, I thought he was enough of a real person for me not to dismiss the movie because of it. If Hounddog was made by Guillermo del Toro, I suspect the movie would have been better, had fewer pacing issues & not feel random during the random fantasy portion with the snakes by having more elements throughout the movie where fantasy bleeds into the story line.