The Loveless

"Well, I was born overheated. . . beneath a blue/black sky"
"The Loveless" marked the feature film debut for co-director/co-writer Kathryn Bigelow ("Near Dark," "Blue Steel"). The movie was actually Bigelow's graduate student film thesis--a stylized and downbeat little film with a neo-noirish undercurrent that showed enough promise to prompt a brief art house circuit theatrical release--after which it achieved a cult following overseas and, to a lesser degree, in the U.S.

Willem Dafoe exudes a surly raw sexuality in his first credited screen role as 'Vance,' a rough and tumble biker traveling the back roads of America with his gang during the 1950's. Vance establishes the duality of his character in the very first scene of the film: He is decent enough to come to the assistance of a lone woman driving along a deserted stretch of road by changing out her flat tire. However, when the woman offers Vance a grudging pittance for his time and trouble, he doesn't hesitate to reach through the car window, grab her purse and rifle through...

A Motorcycle Film with Realism, Exlpoitation and Objectification All in One!
Kathryn Bigelow (who went on to do a New Order video, Blue Steel and Strange Days) made this movie when studying in NYC as a film student. This movie truly captures many aspects of a interstate motorcycle run. There will be inevitable prejudism from the locals, especially men who feel threatened, and then there will be girls who think it's cool. There's a lot of waiting around to hook up with your group (or gang), it's dirty, and most accurately, Harley Davidsons are known to break down. (That's why so many people carry them on their pickup trucks).

Forget about Captain America and Easy Rider. That's the romantic notion that everyone seems to think of when they talk about motorcycle movies. Think Danny Lyon instead. I rode from NYC to California and back with a friend, and we get together every year or so to watch this movie and laugh at Wilem DaFoe's lines. We both agree that this movie really captures the less glamorous side of going cross country on our sleds...

"we're goin nowhere...fast"
What's so enticing about "The Loveless" isn't so much the story, well...there really isn't one. Just a bunch of biker's on their way to Daytona to "watch em howl". Or Robert Gordon's (who also co-stars) great rockabilly film score. It's Kathryn Bigelow's (Martin Scorsese-esque) direction that keeps you mesmerized throughout. Co-written and directed by Monty Montgomery (perhaps best known for producing David Lynch's "Wild At Heart"). "The Loveless" is an uncompromising look at late 50's social disorder starring Willem Dafoe and the sexy petite Marin Kanter. Although it could be argued that "The Loveless" parallels "The Wild One" to a certain degree, only...Willem Dafoe's character (Vance) seems a little more believable than Marlon Brando's campy over-the-top portrayal. Thus making "The Loveless" not only a cult classic, but an 80's drive-in sensation as well. A true biker masterpiece!

olofpalme63

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