Review of Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) by Tibor B — 08 Nov 2007

Universal's answer to Easy rider, at a time when studios were so desperate to get the "kids" into the cinema that the counter-culture attitude was allowed into the mainstream. James Taylor and Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson are the two laconic, car geek brothers driving their cherished, highly tuned '55 Chevy east, taking on local road racers for cash and parts.

They pick up a young chick, and set off on a race to the East Coast against Warren Oates' lying con man in his off the shelf Pontiac GTO. Monte Hellmann and crew capture the huge expanses of America wonderfully, all those good old movie cliche motels, yokel garages and diners.

But at the heart of the movie is a profound emptiness and disconnection between all the characters. The brothers both hook up with the girl but then ignore her, preferring to talk about their car than connect with her in any non-physical manner.

Oates takes on a series of random hitchhikers, always ending in embarassment, misunderstanding or boredom. In a nice touch the film never really ends, but, quite literally, burns out in an abstract dissolve to nothingness.