Review of Five Easy Pieces (1970) by Conner R — 18 Apr 2010
Probably one of the greatest examinations of American life. Not only is it a flawlessly done Road Movie, it is also far more deep and multi-facetted than that. It says so much about family, love, work, personality and the goal of the American Dream.
I think the greatest aspect is that it hardly follows the average narrative, it's a lot more like actual life. Many of the questions are never answered and many of the characters don't have a final resolve.
It also doesn't have a sappy ending, which is incredibly brave for 1970. Jack Nicholson gives probably one of his greatest performances as Robert Dupea, one of the most realistic characters put on screen.
He is in many ways a horrible person. He has very little redeeming qualities, has nearly no compassion or sense of love. However, that's what makes him so great. He's a perfect representation of a real human being.
Most of us are more selfish than we like to put on and have issues that are never made obvious to others. When the movie unfolds, you began to realize why he is the way he is and gain somewhat of a respect for him.
The film captures the landscape of the country in a way that no other film before or since has replicated or even come close to. The shots of the small towns, local spots and the highway are almost scarily close to the way a human perceives it.
They didn't dress up the set or made it look more beautiful than it is, it was the reality of where they were.
This review of Five Easy Pieces (1970) was written by Conner R on 18 Apr 2010.
Five Easy Pieces has generally received very positive reviews.
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