Review of Where the Buffalo Roam (1980) by Nick O — 12 Jul 2008

Where the Buffalo Roam is director Art Linsonâ??s take on the exploits of famed journalist Hunter S. Thompson. Bill Murray, in perhaps the filmâ??s only standout piece of acting, plays Thompson. Murray delivers Thompsonâ??s trademark mumble and hobble-walk.

Yet, the film seems to blow Dr. Thompsonâ??s experiences as a writer out of proportion to the point that they seemed way too over the top. The filmâ??s plot revolves around Thompsonâ??s friendship with Dr.

Lazlo, played by Peter Boyle. Lazlo, or coursed based on the late Oscar Zeta Accosta, starts out as a lawyer defending juvenile delinquents brought in for marijuana possession. When the courts continually sentence his clients to jail time, Lazlo snaps, drops off the map, and becomes a vigilante hiding out in the woods.

Thompson is along for this whole ride and chronicles it for a fictionally magazine obviously based on Rolling Stone. Thompsonâ??s story in Lazlo garners him a reputation and he goes out to report on the campaign trail, where he is mistreated by campaign managers and fellow journalists alike.

Thompson, in the film, brushes them off and continues his unorthodox methods of reporting all the while rejecting Lazloâ??s request to aid him as a vigilante. Some stand out scenes in the film include the scene when Thompson confronts his nemesis, Richard Nixon, in a public bathroom and when Thompson doses a fellow reporter with LSD on the campaign plane.

Murray is at the top of his game and he shows why he is one of the great versatile actors of all time. In this film, he captures Thompsonâ??s slapstick yet poignant humor perfectly all the while maintain Hunter Thomsponâ??s demeanor and attitude.

Peter Boyle falls completely flat as Lazlo. Boyle fails to bring any heart to the role. Perhaps due to a lack of direction or just the pressure of portraying a character so out of control in real life (Zeta Accosta), at times, it seems as if Boyle himself canâ??t decide if his character is supposed to be mentally insane, on drugs, or full of complete and honest conviction.

The film, as I previously mentioned, fictionalizes much of Thompsonâ??s real life exploits. Any fan of Thompson may be borderline offended by the movie because, through no fault of Bill Murrayâ??s, Where the Buffalo Roam almost seems to play down what Thompson did for American history.

If someone where to just watch this film, they would think Hunter Thompson was a walking talking cartoon character which, in all sense, he was not. The real Hunter S. Thompson was certainly excessive and eccentric, but not as extreme as the film makes him seem.

I recommend this film as a companion piece to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Gonzo: The Life and work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. These three films, when viewed together, all give very different accounts of the journalist.

Bill Murrayâ??s performance is really something to take away from an otherwise very forgettable and only occasionally funny film.