In the 70's were there actual villages of Cajuns way out in the Bayou without telephones? Did they really just sing and dance and eat? If so, that would be pretty badass. Are there any such settlements of Cajuns like this today? I've driven through Louisiana on I-10 over the Atchafalaya river basin and couldn't help thinking if Cajuns still lurk in those endless bayous.
There is atleast one town IN the basin, called Butte La Rose. I live about 40 minutes away. They have telephones and such but it's still pretty alien and a lot of the older residents only speak Cajun French. And although the idea of Cajuns as portrayed in the movie is chuckled at, there are still a few older Cajuns living isolated lives on little house boats and what not.
shareThat's pretty neat, Smokeswithwolves.
Thank you for your insight.
I've read about Cajun French dying out since it was frowned upon during the 20th century. I think that is sad.
I may have some Cajun relatives. There last name was Varnado (that's pretty French sounding if you ask me) and they were from Louisiana.
I love listening to Cajun and Zydeco music as well.
The google street view is awesome!!
We've met before, haven't we?
Sorry to say but not that realistic. The sound of the music can be heard quite often....instruments like the fiddle and most popularly the Accordion can be heard in many local Cajun singers music. The director did a good job with that part. But, all this crazy folklore of people living in the swamps and being all secretive and to themselves is nonsense. Everyone lives in normal houses in normal cities just like anyone else living in 21st century America. Cajuns are just like anyone anywhere else....the vast majority of them are really nice and peaceful, but I'm sure you can find a few jerks too just like anywhere else. The only people who speak French are old grandparents, as English took over as the main language in all the schools about two generations ago. Everyone has a television, tv, and lives in a regular home like anywhere else. People do normal things like go to the movies, go bowling, go to the grocery store, go to a nightclub, go to a University, work for Verizon, Sears, Chili's or anywhere else you wanna name.
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I thought it was more like the early 80's, if a decade makes a difference. A whole community of backwoods Cajuns in the 80's without phones might be stretching it. I could buy the small group of poachers; there are guys who isolate themselves like that to this day. But the whole little town doesn't seem likely. Not that the townspeople were the same as the hunters. But I don't think that exists nor did it in the 80's. Maybe a generation earlier. Though if I'm wrong I think that would be interesting and would love to hear more.
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Huey Long had the french beat out of the cajuns and it all went down hill from there. now you have the franco fete movement with people going back to the cajun roots and learning french as a second language and whatnot. I can hear the lyrics "my sweet lafayette." maybe that's supposed to be lafayette, Louisiana. if so, it's comepletely accurate.
shareI live in Lafayette and I can tell you that bringing up this movie will make you the most unpopular person in the room. The portrayal of Cajuns as dirty, backwards and uneducated living in the swamp is an out of date stereotype that is a never ending battle to eradicate. I am not a native, I am a tranplant by choice from Texas and also an indie film nut. Attending my first film festival there (there are two major ones each year), I made the mistake of uttering the words Southern Comfort in a Q&A discussion. The Acadian culture is amazing on all levels in it's celebration of all things in life that should be enjoyed coupled with getting by on what you have. Although this movie is good entertainment, it should be taken as such and not a history lesson. And yes, we do regularly laugh at ourself, just check out Poo Poo Broussard on You Tube.
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I thought French were viewed as sissies in the US
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That´s certainly a hilarious quote by Patton there. But, of course, as everybody knows, the French did not lose their campaigne against Nazi Germany because they were "sissies", but because they were strategically completely overwhelmed.
"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan
lache pa las patate
shareI dunno I am Cajun and kind of like seeing "us" tearing up the National Guard!
My dad tells me stories of his country upbringing that do kind of line up with the "no phones" aspect of Southern Comfort. But he was born in the 30's.
As far as Cajuns vs outsiders, a few of us still have some lingering resentment about the Louisiana purchase and all the anglos that came into Louisiana afterwards. I also don't know about Huey Long "Beating the French" out of the Cajuns and Creoles. I have never heard that before. Again, my dad tells me stories of the catholic nuns disciplining him if he spoke French in school. So I would put the death of Cajun French on religious and economic forces , not political ones.
My wife's family is from Louisana (though mostly from New Orleans which should really be considered a separate universe from the rest of the U.S!) but we took a "backwoods" tour when I first visited Louisiana back in '97. I was hoping to find some of these old style Cajuns sitting in rocking chairs, smoking pipes with a shotgun over their shoulder! Man, was I disappointed! We went all over the state and didn't find anything like that. Just normal folks in regular houses, a few on "stilts" to avoid flooding. At one point we were excited when we saw an old barn advertising "alligator jerky" so we pulled over to sample this exotic treat. We saw the proprietor, this old codger dressed in overalls, and I thought, here is one backwards dude. Well, it was just an act -- he was actually a well-respected chiropracter selling jerky on the side with a new model Mercedes out back!
The Cajuns I met were some of the NICEST, KINDEST people I've ever met in my life. Their music is amazing as well. I'm sure there might be spots here and there with backwards type hillbillies but we sure as hell didn't see any.
So, now that Swamp People has come out, you tell me, OP.
Coming Soon... The December Man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qj7fRpcXRI
Certains des caractérisations des cajuns dans ce film n'étaient pas exactement la réalité de la vie. La plupart cadiens préfèrent vivre tout simplement et laisser les bons moments rôle. Ma famille a français cajun et éléments d'ascendance
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