On The Road
Walter
Salles's
“On The Road” @ 35th Mill Valley Film Festival
"They danced down the streets like dingledodies, and I shambled after as I've been doing all my life after people who interest me, because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones that never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn..."
-Jack Kerouac
The mad ones start. They always instigate. Instigate the change, the language, the mood for the rest of us to follow. The mad ones always know. Know where to go, where to find it, what to do with it. Without maps or rules...they follow the beat. Beat of life, beat of the road, beat of the words, with their hearts and minds.
Purity in this is absolute. Like breathing air is a pure act. The mad ones follow the road with purity.
The air is pure in this film, words and bodies, language and color, are all pure representations.
The most inspired idea of this film was to have Walter Salles direct. Who so brilliantly displayed his passion for youthful discovery in "The Motorcycle Diaries", follows these mad ones with an unmolested eye. The reserved energy of his camera shows just how vibrant the times and story of these "instigators" really was. The energy of a bursting youth culture on the verge of revelation is bleeding off the screen. Thanks to Walter, these mad ones have a new road to explore.
It's hard for me to write critically about this film and not feel like a phony. This material deserves a special attention. I found very little at fault, but admittedly I was working while the film was on...tried as I did to sit and watch the whole thing all the way through...I did miss some. But right from the opening scene...the beat lived, danced, and vibrated off the screen.
It's incredibly difficult to capture as special a time and place as what's described in "On The Road". And even a minor successful attempt deserves merit. But this doesn't feel like a minor success. It feels like a complete success. I was transported, immediately. It could be my age. And having recently been at a similar place in life as these travelers, but there is something more...with the colors and shots, pacing and costumes. The actors pitch perfect.
I feel in love with them, as I did reading the book.
The players weren't faces they were people. In which life is instilled, and real words to say. Viggo Mortensen was perfectly blended as the "Old Bull Lee" character (William S. Burroughs). And Kirsten Dunst disappeared into her role as Camille. And a fragile and brave cameo by Steve Buscemi made me laugh and broke my heart all at the same time.
This version was 125mins. If you've read from the Cannes Festival, the first screened cut was significantly longer. I also would've loved to see that cut. But this doesn't feel like it left out any of the heart and soul of the journey. Even the brief moments that may have taken chapters in the book, but only minuets of screen time have weight, considerable weight.
Not having read the book in years, I couldn't tell you what was "left out" or changed. But my readings from the Cannes screening have left me to believe that the whole book was shot verbatim. And edits where made to long monologues of Sal at his typewriter. There are still plenty of them; if something was to be cut...I can understand choosing those moments. His narration or "readings" are present throughout.
It's an authentic film. And it's a pleasure to see that after all the phonies have had their day. This comes along and shows us where the revolution actually happens not in a room, or around a table of decisions. But out on the road, and the ending credits leave you there. Wandering the ever-unfolding open road.
“On The Road” @ 35th Mill Valley Film Festival
"They danced down the streets like dingledodies, and I shambled after as I've been doing all my life after people who interest me, because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones that never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn..."
-Jack Kerouac
The mad ones start. They always instigate. Instigate the change, the language, the mood for the rest of us to follow. The mad ones always know. Know where to go, where to find it, what to do with it. Without maps or rules...they follow the beat. Beat of life, beat of the road, beat of the words, with their hearts and minds.
Purity in this is absolute. Like breathing air is a pure act. The mad ones follow the road with purity.
The air is pure in this film, words and bodies, language and color, are all pure representations.
The most inspired idea of this film was to have Walter Salles direct. Who so brilliantly displayed his passion for youthful discovery in "The Motorcycle Diaries", follows these mad ones with an unmolested eye. The reserved energy of his camera shows just how vibrant the times and story of these "instigators" really was. The energy of a bursting youth culture on the verge of revelation is bleeding off the screen. Thanks to Walter, these mad ones have a new road to explore.
It's hard for me to write critically about this film and not feel like a phony. This material deserves a special attention. I found very little at fault, but admittedly I was working while the film was on...tried as I did to sit and watch the whole thing all the way through...I did miss some. But right from the opening scene...the beat lived, danced, and vibrated off the screen.
It's incredibly difficult to capture as special a time and place as what's described in "On The Road". And even a minor successful attempt deserves merit. But this doesn't feel like a minor success. It feels like a complete success. I was transported, immediately. It could be my age. And having recently been at a similar place in life as these travelers, but there is something more...with the colors and shots, pacing and costumes. The actors pitch perfect.
I feel in love with them, as I did reading the book.
The players weren't faces they were people. In which life is instilled, and real words to say. Viggo Mortensen was perfectly blended as the "Old Bull Lee" character (William S. Burroughs). And Kirsten Dunst disappeared into her role as Camille. And a fragile and brave cameo by Steve Buscemi made me laugh and broke my heart all at the same time.
This version was 125mins. If you've read from the Cannes Festival, the first screened cut was significantly longer. I also would've loved to see that cut. But this doesn't feel like it left out any of the heart and soul of the journey. Even the brief moments that may have taken chapters in the book, but only minuets of screen time have weight, considerable weight.
Not having read the book in years, I couldn't tell you what was "left out" or changed. But my readings from the Cannes screening have left me to believe that the whole book was shot verbatim. And edits where made to long monologues of Sal at his typewriter. There are still plenty of them; if something was to be cut...I can understand choosing those moments. His narration or "readings" are present throughout.
It's an authentic film. And it's a pleasure to see that after all the phonies have had their day. This comes along and shows us where the revolution actually happens not in a room, or around a table of decisions. But out on the road, and the ending credits leave you there. Wandering the ever-unfolding open road.
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