Swimming to Cambodia (1987)

Yes, already another movie that's partly about war in southeast Asia, but that's about where the similarity ends. I previously mentioned this one as a predecessor to Monster in a Box, so I knew it would be nearly all monologue, with comic elements, and therefore not half as disturbing.

The overarching theme of Spalding Gray's anecdotes herein concerns the making of The Killing Fields, in which he got sixth billing as the unnamed U.S. consul. But once again, the unity is rather loose. He talks about what he did in Thailand between shots, what he did back in Manhattan, and the history of the Cambodian War.

From prior experience, I had already made up my mind not to do anything else while watching. Just as well: There's a little more to the visuals here than in MiaB. Gray uses gestures more than I recall from before. Sometimes he uses a map or a video screen, whether for clips of himself in TKF or something else. (I didn't get much out of TKF and completely forgot his character, but that's immaterial to my assessment of StC.)

We also get to see, at the beginning, a wider area than the immediate surroundings of Gray's desk. He walks the streets of New York, passes bleachers full of people, and sits down with his notebook. That removes my doubt of a live audience this time, but once again, there is absolutely no applause at the beginning or end. Were they confused by Gray's unobtrusive entrance and lack of a greeting or introduction? Did he ask them ahead of time not to clap because he hates the sound? Or did the editors remove it to avoid the appearance of self-congratulation? This isn't Without You, I'm Nothing; the audience does laugh at Gray's humor. And while there are a few fade-outs, I don't get the impression of retakes, since he verbally stumbles at several points.

I don't blame Gray for flubbing, because he tends to talk fast when not pausing for dramatic effect, a video, or a water break. Nor can I complain about the pace when it keeps the runtime under 90 minutes; more than that and I'd probably get bored.

Gray elicits more chuckles from both me and the live audience this time. He also gets more darkly serious, particularly when he's not the topic. Some of his statements are politically partisan, but they carry a bit less of a sting after 33 years.

Perhaps the most important difference from MiaB is the R rating instead of a PG-13. Gray swears a lot, and not just when quoting someone. He describes some raunchy practices in detail. (Apparently, Murray Head's "One Night in Bangkok" was more accurate than I thought.)

So which film do I prefer? Hard to say. MiaB is easier to recommend for family friendliness, but I may be unduly biased by having watched it first. StC packs more emotional impact, for better or worse, and is more educational.

The stories almost make me want to travel again, maybe even to Cambodia. But no matter where I go or what I do, I will not be able to spin the tale in as mesmerizing a fashion as Spalding Gray.