Educational Media Reviews Online

Loot opens with the exotic image of street children rolling old tires down uneven streets and the honking of impatient horns, in a city where carts and bicycles seem to outnumber cars. We therefore expect our real-life treasure hunter to be a worldly jet set adventurer, with dollar signs in his eyes and money to burn on prospects. Instead, Lance Larson, though extremely hardworking, seems weary and defeated--the human face of the current economic depression. His once successful business ventures, refurbishing and selling cars, inventing solar powered products and, more generally, "chasing rainbows," have dried up and his eldest son Michael is addicted to heroin and cocaine. Having recently lost a small fortune on an unsuccessful treasure hunt, Lance sets out to find the buried wartime stashes of two WWII veterans. Andrew, who has desperately tried to forget his experiences in the service, buried samurai swords and jewelry while serving in the Philippines. Darrel, almost blind, is eager to relive his memories and return to the attic of a small house in Austria, where he hid jewelry, also stolen.

Over a 9 month period, Lance patiently tries to unearth one of two copies of a hand-drawn treasure map, buried somewhere in Andrew's home, which is straight out of an episode of A&E Network’s Hoarders. With each visit, Andrew is increasingly unhinged. Disturbing facts are revealed, including that Andrew attacked and likely killed the Japanese soldier who gave him the swords. Andrew was witness (and possibly, we wonder, a participant?) to several other wartime atrocities. We learn that his son died from drug use and that he frequently isolates himself because of his depression. Despite having doubts since the beginning, Lance is unable to walk away from the map search, not out of blind ambition or even greediness, but seemingly because of what I can only describe as a disciplined ambivalence. Lance finally gives up on the map hunt, but only when Andrew tells him that it might be best not to find it. Lance still doesn't abandon the project, though, and goes to the Philippines alone, with the precious few clues Andrew has been willing to share with him.

His efforts with Darrel seem much more promising, at first. Unlike Andrew, Darrel is desperate to relive memories from his time in the service. In fact, he is more interested in returning to the house where he hid the treasure than actually cashing in. It becomes clear once they arrive in Europe, though, that they are in over their heads. The two are painfully American: neither Darrel nor Lance speak German, neither of them even know the date the war ended. Darrel seems to be confusing the names of rivers, leading the local historians assisting them to believe that they aren't searching the right area. Hauntingly, we learn that Darrel was profoundly affected by the death of his son, also from an overdose. Near the end of their searching, it is also clear that the journey has taken its toll on his health and stamina. Ultimately it is another veteran, from the other side of the war, who joyfully reminisces about overhearing the soldiers singing American show tunes and leads them to spot where the small house once stood. Though he breaks down emotionally at first, returning to the area and reliving the memories seem to give Darrel a sense of peace.

While it is hard to pin down exactly how it might be used in its entirety in an academic environment, I highly recommend Loot for pleasure viewing. It offers a fascinating reflection on memory and repression, as well as fatherhood, which certainly have their place in the academic environment. Its greatest appeal, however, is the compelling character portraits of two elderly veterans and the struggles of the quintessential self-made man.

Awards

• Los Angeles Film Festival, Best Documentary Feature, 2008