Two-Lane Blacktop is an overlooked film and if there are any fans of Easy Rider out there who have not seen this film, go check it out. James Taylor and Dennis Wilson portray two car fanatics on the roads of America racing their custom '55 Chevy. Warren Oates plays GTO, the object of their passion for a race from the west to Washington D.C. The film is full of style and wit, basically a comment on the culture of the time when men judged each other very much the way they judged their cars. I had heard of Monte Hellman from a friend and I'm glad I decided to rent this film. Hellman shoots for style while keeping his screen compositions simple. The film is very subversive and sneaks around like a prowling cat. I fell for the characters, especially GTO, but I never really understood the drifter played by Laurie Bird. She comes into the film unexpected and tries every way to get away and just when you think she's gone from the picture, she reappears. I felt she was in the way. There is also a small performance from Harry Dean Stanton that is endearing. This is a treasure for independant film makers as the film was made for very low cost. If you can rent the DVD of Two-Lane Blacktop do so, the transfer is very nice and the film really is a standout on disc.
Review of Two-Lane Blacktop
