Review CXLI - The Girl on a Motorcycle

Review 141
The Girl on a Motorcycle (1968)

I really have been on a roll with reviews this month! It does help that I have been watching quite a few films during the week as background noise to some art pieces I've been working on. This time we have an Alain Delon film going for us because, well, I never would have checked it out if it wasn't for Alain Delon. It is Jack Cardiff's The Girl on a Motorcycle starring yours truly, Marianne Faithfull, and Roger Mutton. Let's jump right in.

Rebecca (Marianne Faithfull) has recently married Raymond (Roger Mutton), but finds herself riding her motorcycle to meet her lover, Daniel (Alain Delon).

I... literally have nothing else to say in terms of plot. It really is as simple as a love triangle where we're shown how impotent Raymond is and how erect Daniel is. Meanwhile, everyone is drooling over Rebecca given her thin frame fitting like a glove into the leather suit. She criticises the attention she receives, but criticises the men who ignore her. "He must be a homosexual," she claims of one of them. So honestly, in terms of plot, it really just follows a woman who is egocentric, knowing she is stunning and falling into place with Raymond as a "protection" against Daniel. Why? Because Daniel doesn't love her as he lost his true love once.

Really, this film has nothing going on. I know there's some type of critique on the Vietnam War in one scene when Rebecca sees armour recruitments riding around on tanks with "flowers on their heads" as she claims. What was it saying? Probably that the war was bad given Rebecca's statements. Otherwise, we mostly get a view of Daniel criticising love and asking his students whether or not marriage is even worth it when you can have your cake and eat it too, that is, have sex but never commit. But it was very downplayed in my opinion since Daniel was in love with a woman once. I mean, Rebecca most love him given that she keeps going back to sleep with him, so maybe this is showing us that women think they can get a man by sleeping with them? Also that she is a complete jerk for marrying Raymond? I mean, it's implied he knows, but I don't get why he wouldn't say anything.

I'm grasping on straws here, so really, the only thing going for this film is the erotic tension from Marianne Faithfull, but even that is barely used. I mean, the opening scene of her putting on the catsuit was nice, but if I was a guy, I would be pissed. You literally get barely anything else. And since I'm a woman, did I get Alain Delon? Well, yeah, but I'd rather watch Le samouraï where the focus is on him and I have an interesting story. Here, it's just boring and uninspired. I feel like Jack Cardiff wanted to make a film with just some visual appeal and tried to get everyone in by having Marianne Faithfull and Alain Delon (Roger Mutton was good-looking too, but whatever) starring in it, and then delivered absolutely nothing.

In the end, The Girl on a Motorcycle is summed up in the title. If you're looking for a sexy film, go elsewhere because this one really doesn't give you anything you wanted.

Review C - Bullitt

Review C
Bullitt (1968)

大家好! Hello everyone! Honestly, I've been feeling review-y lately, so I figure I should take advantage of this and watch a film. Also, there's a big "C" in the title. That's right - I made it to one hundred reviews! I've screwed up the numbering before, but this should be right. Somehow I had the dedication to write one hundred reviews and it only took three years (it's unfortunate sarcasm is not evident through a written text). It also really puts into perspective how many films I have watched. I mean, I've watched more than I have reviewed, but still. Damn. One hundred films? Crazy.

Anyway, I didn't take anything super special for my hundredth review because I just happened to watch Peter Yates' Bullitt after craving something a little sixties-ish. The film stars Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Don Gordon, Jacqueline Bisset, Norman Fell (holy shit! Three's Company's Mr. Roper!), and Simon Oakland. With Steve McQueen, you know this is going to get dirty. Plus, you may have already heard of this film... But we'll get to that. Also, ignore the Polish (Polish, right?) on the poster - I just really loved the art design!

Jack Bullitt (Steve McQueen) is a sociable lieutenant for the San Francisco police, well known by the media, who is given an important assignment - he must protect a witness, Johnny Ross (Pat Renella), who will be appearing in a senate sub-committee hearing on organised crime (thank you, Wikipedia) for rookie politician Walter Chalmers (Robert Vaughn). Him and two of his colleagues, Dolgetti (Don Gordon) and Stanton (Carl Reindel), will be in charge of protecting Ross for the next forty hours. However, even before day one finishes, Stanton and Ross are shot after Ross unlocks the door for the unknown perpetrators. But why does he do this? Bullitt thinks there's more than meets the eye, and with Chalmers breathing down his back, he'll be sure to figure this one out, if only to prove to Chalmers exactly why the media is so impressed with him.

So why would you know this film? Could it be this?

This might be a scene you know since it's one of the most well-known car chases in all of Hollywood history - maybe even film history? I hadn't seen the film, hadn't known it by name, but I knew about this car chase. I remember seeing part of it when I was young. At the time, I didn't care for it, though I did find the cars bouncing around pretty funny, but now, I think it's super well done. There's no crazy music playing in the background - actually because Lalo Schifrin, an Argentine who composed the score for the film, said the score was strong enough as it is, so the car scene didn't need any music. And it really didn't. It was awesome to hear the screeching, the bouncing, rubber burnin', all that jazz. The way it was edited was legit - even if I noticed the repeated green Volkswagen Beetle! Yes, it really was super legit. And Lalo Schifrin was right - the music is sexy as it is. Yeah, yeah, it's got that sixties cop feel, but I would totally never turn that down. Ever. I've actually been listening to the soundtrack while writing this review. I fell in love with the music, really touched me. But I think maybe I'm taking it too far. Anyway, it really worked in the film!

While the car chase was spectacular, I have to say that the whole film was shot beautifully. It had interesting angles, interesting shots. Steve McQueen was beautiful, but seriously, those shots. It's sad that nowadays, you get a typical action film and it's just... bland. It's full of typical shots that never amount to anything. But back in the day, even with a simple film like Bullitt, people cared how the film's shots turned out. I mean, I remember watching Get Carter and feeling the same way. I'm sure I brought up the beauty of the shots of that film in my review. Maybe both are just exceptions, but I don't think so. I think back then it was something you cared to do, something you learned, but now, for whatever reason, you just get that one director that tries to speak to the audience through the framing of a scene. Otherwise, a typical action film will be cars, girls, and mediocre spam. But hey, I only hear about the good (and really bad) films of the sixties - I don't hear about all the films from the sixties, so I could be completely wrong.

The plot, well, is okay. I found it kind of hard to follow, but maybe it's because I was obsessed with yelling out "Bullitt" every time I had the chance. The plot also kind of took a downfall on characters sometimes, too. Slight spoilers but not really since it's in the trailer, when Cathy, Jacqueline Bisset's character, tells Bullitt he is too "violent" and led by "violence and death", I just shook my head. He's a cop and you thought he picked roses? Seemed like a useless scene. And Captain Bennett, Simon Oakland's character, seemed kind of... weird. I don't know. I liked how he believed Bullitt and didn't just break the book over his head like the chief editor or runner of the newspaper or whatever does in All the President's Men (spoilers for that movie - the guy basically just yells at Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford, saying they don't have enough, until the very, very end). Still, he just seemed kind of... weird sometimes. I can't quite put my finger on it, so maybe I'm just crazy.

Bottom line, while this film might not have the most exceptional plot, the shots are cool, the action scenes are cool, and Steve McQueen is cool. I'd recommend it to any movie fan, especially if you like cars. Vroom vroom, mustang go!