Left: Vincent circa 1831; Right: Vincent now
Left: Vincent circa 1831; Right: Vincent nowNothing can sum up Mr. Vincent Gallo’s character better than all the comments on YouTube. He is “a right wing, bisexual, bitter drag queen in with split personality,” “a very creepy complex person not to be trusted,” “a genius,” and the list goes on. A controversial figure he sure is, and also a renaissance man. That’s how we are talking about Vincent Gallo. He is an Italian-born actor, director, musician, singer, songwriter, writer, photographer, painter, designer, model, escort, and sperm seller! Yes, the guy has done—and is still doing—everything we admire and not so much admire. He resists being mainstream. He resists quick definition.
Of course, it’s not necessary that everything Gallo touches turns to gold. Still, he has left quite a bit of impression on the media industry. Allegedly, Gallo’s “proper” career dates back to the 1970s. Before that, he was kicked out by his parents and had to nick some stuff and prostitute himself for a bit of money. That didn’t count as career, did it? Well, Gallo managed to find his ground in music hopping from one band to another as a singer, bass player, rapper but later rechanneled his interest into acting and directing. Gallo did not give up music altogether, though. Currently, he is involved in a rather successful music project called RRIICCEE, and in the past two years, was touring the US with the band.
If we are talking about Gallo’s limelight, it must have been his magic touch in film. The man’s interest in short film and film developed in the 80s. He produces, writes, directs, acts, shoots a good number of short films and also a number of good short films? In 1998, Gallo reached his filmic pinnacle. His feature Buffalo '66 was received with utmost sensation at Cannes. In 2004, in the same French town, his film The Brown Bunny was bashed and mashed by critics. Yet, it is the promotional still image from the sex scene that caused the uproar—to be followed by the scandalous rant between Gallo and film critic Roger Ebert. Ebert was damned by Gallo as “fat pig with the physique of a slave trader” and hexed with colonic cancer. Yes, Gallo’s got some nerve! The worst—probably not for him—was yet to come. The Brown Bunny’s leading actress Chloe Sevigny was dropped by the William Morris Agency for orally releasing Gallo’s “nerve” on screen. If you don’t get what we say, just go watch the film.
Setting aside the naughty-but-not-so-nice, Gallo does have a unique vision and all his quirky controversial-ness does translate into his works. Both Buffalo '66 and The Brown Bunny are about the journey into the troubled soul of the anti-heroes. Gallo’s impersonation of Billy Brown in Buffalo '66 is electrifying. He captures the eccentricity of the character—the mixture of boyish naivety and perpetual lookout for his parents’ attention and approval with the aggression of an ex-primate—which is well complemented by Christina Ricci’s … name. Kidnapped to be his pretend wife, [she] integrates him into an oddly but loving world of make-believe and gives him the love and warmth Billy yearns for. Result? A masterpiece of dysfunctional romantic comedy that everybody raves about. Gallo’s another seminal work Brown Bunny deviates from the warmth and the understated humor of Buffalo '66. The film features Gallo as Bud Clay, a man who switches from one woman to another but unable to attain the fulfillment he needs. Through the hauntingly static lens and the soulful soundtrack, we not only sympathise with him but we feel his suffering. The film involves us as much as it intrigues us. All culminates in the explosive and explicit sex scene that unveils the mystery surrounding Bud Clay’s past and stands for the ironic, impossible cure of his guilt.
Gallo proves he can do many things and be great at them. But, what really intrigues us are the playfulness, the twist-and-turns of his personality and the blatant interest in sex, all of which transpire in his impressive body of works—not to mention many of his sexual escapade with hot stars, shoots slutty chicks on spinning stools, offers fantasy escort service on his website and is happily selling his sperm. Sometimes you just don’t know when to take this guy seriously. All that is packaged as the incredible Mr. Vincent Gallo. We love him; we hate him; and we love to hate him.
Words: Poonperm Paitayawat