Review of Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) by Tall S — 30 Nov 2009

What a sublime movie that gets even better on repeat viewing. Directed by the eccentric Monte Hellman, it really is one of the great American movies of the 1970s and indeed of the last forty years. On the surface, it seems like a simple road movie about cars and racing, but its formally rigorous widescreen compositions and wonderfully observant writing (and often dialogue less scenes) tell a much more meaningful and sad story that is often only conveyed through the tone of the film.

Though its main male characters are single-minded and obsessed with cars, they are largely inexpressive. Yet, Two-Lane Blacktop strikes me as an emotionally complex film. Perhaps this complexity arises from the unusual disjunction between the inexpressive characters and the beautiful and meticulous compositions. As the characters race across the country the film becomes more abstract, less narrative driven, and more concerned with conveying emotional abstractions such as isolation, freedom, and the loss of emotional connections. It's as if every shot, every slight alteration of framing, speaks the existential dread of the characters. What an amazing ending too. One of the great final images in a film.