What happens when a bunch of thirty-something, pleather clad, swing dancing bikers show up in a 1950's small town and refuse to leave? Chaos of course! This Marlon Brando gem is so unintentionally hilarious you simply have to forgive its idiotic plot and perfectly amiable villains.
The films opens up with a small statement on the screen: "It could never take place in most American towns, but it happened in this one..." Not much happens though. Two biker gangs rumble into a town where the most exciting thing that happens is the occasional wedding, and when one of their leaders is arrested for fighting they all set up camp despite the protests of local, inept law enforcement. While they are there they drink beer late into the night, dance with the local girls, and generally just make 50's mischief. I thought my ears started to bleed when one of the gang called a member of the town a "cornball." Seriously, you would not want to get caught in a dark alley with one of these guys--they might shoot a spitball at you or call you a square or something.
Our hero is Johnny (Brando) who is quieter than the others, but leads his group with authority. He falls in love with the town waitress, of course. She falls for his lifestyle, of course. It is impossible for them to be together, and they part without a word shared between them, of course. There is more to Johnny than meets the eye however, which keeps this film a bit more involving than it probably should have been. His manner and the choices that Johnny made in his interactions with the townsfolk did raise questions that I could not immediately answer. I think, however, that these questions only arose because it was Brando playing the lead. Had anyone else played it I am sure it would have been a performance more like the rival leader's (Lee Marvin, doing a pretty dang good job), colorful, but uninspiring.
Brando really can do anything. It has been said time and time again, but really there is Brando and there is everyone else. He had the most trite material to work with, and even though he had a stupid tough guy affectation in his voice he still mesmerizes when he is on the screen. There were scenes when Marvin was doing his thing, being loud and obnoxious and all over the place like every other biker in the film, and he was obviously supposed to be the focus of the scene, but Brando raises his eyebrows or wipes his nose and all attention falls on him. It really is startling and rather awe-inspiring. Is this a Stanley Kowalski or a Terry Malloy moment? Of course not. The role and the movie are garbage and elementary, but the actor is a man driven by instinct. His method is so raw and so fresh, many others would kill just to have the afterbirth of his talent. He is immortal.
...also I have a huge crush on him, but that is neither here, nor there.
This shows that I overthink films that ought not be thought about at all, but I was confused about the message of the film. I was really not sure whether this film was a glorification or a condemnation of the rabble-rousers. Was this an attack on lawlessness, or was it pointing a spotlight on straight laced day to day life, or both? I really don't know. If it was the latter...well it shouldn't have been. Make a statement for Pete's sake.
In summation, this is a short movie whose G-rated bad boys will give you a chuckle. It will not present you with anything new or exciting, but it really was the first biker film which inspired a legacy of others, and for any Marlon Brando lover it really is a staple.
2/4
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