SPEND IT ALL (director/writer: Les Blank; cinematographer: Les Blank; editor: Maureen Gosling; music: Dewey Balfa/Marc Savoy/Adam Landreneau; Runtime: 41; MPAA Rating: NR; producer: Les Blank; Janus Films; 1972)
“Shows the fun-loving Cajuns in their environment.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

The genial documentary by the prolific documentarian Les Blank (“Burden of Dreams“/”Dry Wood”/”Hot Pepper”) shows the fun-loving Cajuns in their environment, especially their joy for food and music. A quick history lesson is also provided telling how they settled in 1604 in the Louisiana bayou and came here in great numbers in 1700s to escape the British conquerors of their Acadia. There’s also sequences of horse racing Cajun style.

It follows Dewey Balfa and Marc Savoy, who are Cajuns living in southern Louisiana and both are part-time workers and musicians. Marc loves the simple and free life of living in the bayou, and compares living in NYC’s rat race to being in jail. Dewey’s relatives think modern life has become too fast and wouldn’t mind going back to the old days even when they were paid so little. He claims the Cajuns had it much better then because everyone in the community stuck together and helped each other out.