“A deftly made tribute to the kind of filmmaking that has seemingly become a forgotten craft.”

For about as long as we have been a sentient species, we have been preoccupied with the idea of achieving success in some way or another, which any surface-level exploration of human sociology will make abundantly clear. Yet, each one of us has different parameters for what success entails – for some it’s financial gain, for others it’s the ability to wake up every day with a feeling of satisfaction and joy. However, these two often seem to be mutually exclusive, as outlined in Legend of the Happy Worker, the most recent directorial outing by Duwayne Dunham. He spent the past thirty years slowly developing the project, which was passed over to him by David Lynch, whose own sensibilities and curiosity about the human condition seem to be quietly reflected in every frame of this film. The story is set at some point during the early 20^th century, and follows Joe, one of the many proverbial “happy workers” employed by industrialist and benevolent leader Goose to spend each day digging a hole in the middle of the desert. A pursuit that goes back to his own grandfather, who first decided to take over the land. The reasons for this endeavour are not clear, but as Joe gets closer to the enigmatic overseer he begins to realise that there is something sinister about the entire situation, making him question his own involvement in a task much more opaque than he had expected. A fascinating curio of a film that takes a simple premise and allows it to flourish into an enigmatic character study, Legend of the Happy Worker attempts to both entertain and challenge in equal measure, succeeding impressively for the most part.

Legend of the Happy Worker establishes its core themes from the beginning, with the first scene showing a tense interaction between an opportunistic businessman and members of the indigenous population whose land he views as ripe for the picking. What follows is a series of episodes in which Dunham sets out to explore the relationship between tradition and modernity, all filtered through a fascinating parable about greed and its consequences. Much like any story that explores capitalism in US history, the film examines the American Dream, attempting to provide its own insights into whether it is the cornerstone of the nation’s economic success, or nothing more than a false narrative built by those who wanted to exploit the working class to the very brink of their abilities. It is clear what the film sees as the likeliest answer, but that doesn’t stop the director from making some intriguing observations through both literal plot developments and more abstract allusions. Both of them serve the purpose of examining how even the most seemingly earnest, honest individuals are capable of becoming corrupt under the unbearable temptation of being promised infinite wealth if they are willing to sacrifice their morals. It’s not the definitive account of these topics, but it certainly does give enough insights to be quite compelling when exploring these ideas, and gradually builds into a very effective manifesto against a system that supposedly rewards hard work, when in reality the only people who benefit are those capable of abandoning all morality from the beginning.

Considering that Legend of the Happy Worker defines itself as “a fable for our times”, Dunham works effectively to make sure that this description is not restricted to only the story, but also the execution of its very bold ideas. It’s difficult to resist the charms of this film, which is as much a statement on the broken promises of the American Dream as it is a deftly made tribute to the kind of filmmaking that has seemingly become a forgotten craft. Evoking the westerns of the classical era, the film features soul-stirring music and delightfully offbeat production design, with the creation of the world in which the story takes place being as vibrant and energetic as the film itself, by no means a small feat. The title is not a misnomer – there is a joyfulness and exuberance that frequently emerges, and the colourful, idiosyncratic style only serves to emphasise these elements, concealing the darker side of the narrative for the first couple of acts before the story allows its bleaker ideas to infiltrate the happy-go-lucky surface. It would have been far less effective had Dunham chosen to do a more traditional drama as opposed to something that starts as a delightful and irreverent comic romp but evolves into a cutthroat satire filled with layers of disconcerting dark humour. Some of the dialogue may be slightly stilted (although this could have been a deliberate choice), but there is never a moment in Legend of the Happy Worker that comes across as inauthentic, the film remaining quite consistent in how it handles its tone. It manages to find the perfect balance between eccentric and off-putting, and the oscillation between these qualities is responsible for some of the more intriguing narrative and aesthetic decisions throughout the film.

Legend of the Happy Worker is filled to the brim with complex ideas, and while the combination of a strong storyline and effervescent execution may make it seem like the tone is responsible for its peculiar and unconventional atmosphere, we swiftly learn that the characters are the primary vessels carrying the film’s most ambitious qualities. Josh Whitehouse is our hero Joe, and he manages to fully capture the rebellious spirit of his character, using his inherent gifts to play this eternally likeable, endearing protagonist, whose own flirtations with malice form the basis for some of the most tense, challenging moments in the film. He’s supported by two exceptional character actors, Thomas Haden Church and Colm Meaney, who respectively take on the roles of the villainous industrialist, and of the protagonist’s distant relative who decides to take advantage of what is clearly a complicated situation. The characterisation in Legend of the Happy Worker is what gives the film such an unusual approach, since the actors are walking a very narrow tonal tightrope, being easily identifiable in terms of the archetypes that they represent, but also never becoming crudely drawn caricatures that lack substance. Credit is therefore owed to both the director and his co-writers, who created some unforgettable characters, and the actors themselves, who had the challenge of finding the nuances beneath the surface of these roles while never seeming clichéd at one extreme, or too niche at the other.

Throughout this film, Dunham has his characters ask one simple question: “Why?” The specific matter being questioned is left open to our interpretation, which describes the overall narrative much more concisely than any in-depth analysis of its potential meanings ever could. Each recurrence of this motif adds layers to the film, since it not only gives it a sense of intentional ambiguity by adding a central mystery to the narrative, it has far-reaching implications that go across disciplines, as interesting to ponder from a philosophical perspective as it is to consider the film as a statement on the economics of greed. The film doesn’t quite answer the question itself, but it certainly did not imply that this was its intention, with the focus less on being a thorough overview of capitalism and its many flaws, than a bold, colourful existential parable about the innate human desire to be seen as successful, even if it means making some harrowing sacrifices in the process. Treading a very narrow boundary between upbeat comedy and bleak drama, and driven by a sincere desire to explore these themes while still maintaining an air of unpredictability and originality, Legend of the Happy Worker is a terrific work, a handcrafted exploration of common ideas tenderly but creatively assembled by a veteran director whose authorial voice guides this narrative and makes it one of the year’s most fascinating and thought-provoking achievements.