TwoLaneBlacktop

Two-Lane Blacktop (1971)

This is a brilliant movie that isn’t about anything in particular. We have a couple of guys driving around the country in their 55 Chevy challenging locals to races for money to pay for gas, tires, food, and repairs. The characters names are the driver and the mechanic who along the way pickup a beautiful young hitchhiker named the girl. As they head down the road they meet up with another driver also wandering around the country picking up hitchhikers giving each a different story. His name is G.T.O, because he drives a G.T.O. They decide to race to Washington D.C. for pink slips, but never make it there as they get distracted. The movie also boasts a sudden, but brilliant ending that fits with the story.

This is one of the greatest road pictures that I’ve ever seen. It is really difficult to describe exactly why this movie works so well, because it probably shouldn’t. The story really isn’t that exciting and just focuses on the characters, though we really never find anything out about them. Heck we never even know their names! But the characters have this disconnection with the rest of the world around them, and for a time find each other on the road. They don’t seem to have anywhere to go and are just aimlessly wandering the roads, only to find each other for a while. I also love the fact that at the end of the movie the girl finds another ride, G.T.O. has added their story to his own rotation that he gives his hitchhiking passengers, and the guys are still racing. There is no resolution, no happy ending (though the ending isn’t really unhappy either), nothing except them continuing their trip to nowhere. This is the kind of movie that really only could have come from the early 70s and for me is right up there with movies like the original Vanishing Point or Dirty Mary Crazy Larry, only with a bit less of a downer ending.

When I realized that two musicians, James Taylor and Dennis Wilson, were going to be the leads and that this is the only acting credit for both men I was a bit dubious. But with this story and material they were perfect choices and are absolutely brilliant. Their performances are subtle and well suited for the movie. Warrant Oates turns in what might be one of his best performances ever as G.T.O. The character is very sad as he tries out new life stories on each passenger he picks up on the road. Wonderful jobs all around from the entire cast. But the acting isn’t the only great thing about Two-Lane Blacktop. The best road pictures do a good job capturing the surrounding countryside with the camera. Here director Monte Hellman does a fine job doing that as well as shooting all sorts of diners, small towns, and everything else you would expect to see along a cross-country road trip.

I love these kinds of movies and have heard about Two-Lane Blacktop for years, but it wasn’t until recently that I finally got a chance to watch it. Damn I can’t imagine how this movie escaped me for so long. If you enjoy early 70s movies, especially those of the drive-in variety, then you have to check out this one. I highly recommend it.

3 ½ out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer