Whoa. What the hell did I just watch? I thought I had a good grasp of the sixties based on film and media througout the ages until I watched this film. This is just all over the place. Maybe I am old now, maybe I am frustrated that even in this day and age dirty hippies are irritating with their delusional concepts of how the world should be run, but this film was just, "Not cool, man."
I get it. I didn't live through the sixties. But many themes addressed in this film are easily relevant today. Themes of intolerance versus overindulgence, oppression and desire for personal meaning. These are timeless. But seriously though, what happened to narrative structure? The story is loosely about two men who smuggled some drugs in from mexico and are making a cross continent trip to get paid. Throughout the ordeal they explore/encounter free love, drugs, oppresive mid-west america afraid of change, more drugs and such.
I understand there were drugs in the 60s. there are drugs now. The lifestyle doesn't appeal to me, but a lot of great film has had elements of counterculture, so I try to remain objective when it comes to material delving into such areas. Hell I knew the words to Rocky Horror Picture Show's Sweet Transvestite long before any of my peers "discovered" RHPS in University, but I digress.
I guess I just didn't understand the film. This is a film so jaded by America that both polar extremes (the uber hippies of the commune vs the uber intolerant middle america who can kill hippies with nary a concern) are frightening. If that is all that there is, should we all just embrace the nihilism of drugs, numb ourselves to death and let the world implode? I disconcur.
Still this film has gone on to become one of cinema's landmark filks ever. Crazy.
The good: A young restrained Jack Nicholson. The soundtrack alone is worth enduring the film.
The bad: Life as the world of the film suggests. Lame. Total buzkill man.
Final Thoughts: Not entirely sure why it is a classic, but it is. I guess I am just more optimisticthan I thought.
Add to the vault? Nope. I will likely not watch it again ever unless I have to.
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