Where & When: TCL Chinese Theatres, Hollywood, CA. June 23, 2024 4:20 PM
Inspired by the 1968 photo journal by Danny Lyon, writer/director Jeff Nichols takes us into the compelling world of a Chicago outlaw motorcycle club with "The Bikeriders". First formed by some suburban men who loved to ride together, drawing attention to other riders which helped expand the group across the country. They had their own code of conduct and specific lifestyle yet over time a more violent and criminal element entered the gang, shifting from the playful camaraderie of a social club into the ruthless dogma of a organized crime outfit. Filled with explosive moments and captivating imagery, this riveting film traces the history of these easy riders during the brief height of their infamous popularity in the culture.
Lyon (played here by Mike Faist) had gained the trust of members of the Vandals MC (which is based on the actual Outlaws Motorcycle Club in Illinois), allowing him entry into their exclusive club. One of his key interviews is with a person who would be considered an outsider of the Vandals yet still very much part of the gang. Kathy (Jodie Comer) recalls to Lyon how she first became involved with these bikers after meeting the brooding, charismatic member, Benny (Austin Butler) at a seedy bar. After locking eyes with him, Kathy's life changed almost in an instant; leaving behind her nice yet boring, long-time boyfriend and marrying Benny five months later. But this also meant, much to her dismay, that the Vandals would become an extension to their marriage.
The leader of the Vandals is Johnny Davis (Tom Hardy) who founded the gang after seeing a leather-geared, Marlon Brando on a Harley in the film, "The Wild One". A family man with a wife and children, Johnny rules his bikers much like he does at home with tough love and demanding they follow his decisions without question. There isn't much of a plot to follow, largely just detailing the typical routine of the Vandals which really only involves them riding their hogs, engaging in loud, riotous banter and drinking endless beers in a bar, usually leading to finishing the day with somebody getting involved in a vicious brawl.
But at the heart of "The Bikeriders" is a sort-of love triangle involving Kathy and Johnny each trying to win in a battle to secure their place with the remote, Benny. After getting seriously injured during a fight at a bar, almost losing his foot, Kathy attempts to convince her husband to slow down following his surgery while Johnny is wanting him get out to participate in a motorcycle rally. And certain that he's the only one the other bikers would even consider following, Johnny tries to talk Benny into succeeding him as leader. But they both fail to realize that Benny refuses to be controlled, unpersuaded by other people's desires and needs regardless of how he feels about them.
"The Bikeriders" is the first film in about seven years from Nichols, the creator behind the small-scale dramas with expansive viewpoints, typically set in the South where he is from, that include "Take Shelter", "Mud" and "Loving". Since first seeing this book, Nichols had been trying for about twenty years to find a way to turn it into a feature film, settling on creating characters based on the real-life subjects in the book. The film captures an authentic environment of time and place during the late '60's and early 1970's thanks to the production design by Chad Keith. The camera work by Adam Stone sets a proper mood, recreating the specific style and accelerated energy of the photos in Lyon's book.
The Vandals (which includes Norman Reedus and Michael Shannon appearing as bikers) are made-up of the expected arch types; chaotic and precarious men with restless spirits seeking freedom and adventure on the open road while riding a Harley-Davidson. While some do have jobs and family, they live mostly without commitment to anybody but themselves.
As for the women in their lives, occasionally sitting on the back of a bike or participating in rider gatherings, they typically remain in the background, stoically waiting for their men to eventually return home to them. The only substantial female voice in this film is Kathy, who fearlessly shares her thoughts on these guys and will aggressively push back against their macho postering when needed. Much has been made about the Midwestern accent she uses here yet regardless of it's accuracy, the British-born Comer perfectly captures the fiery soul of this woman, delivering another powerful performance. Not called on to do much more than glower and smolder, Butler remains very effective as Benny, proving with his Oscar-nominated performance as Elvis Presley and his menacing turn in "Dune: Part Two" that he certainly has the potential to become the next major movie star. And Hardy, who has spent most of the last few years playing Venom, the Marvel super-hero antagonist in those awful movies, is always a welcome presence on screen and nice to see playing a human being again.
"The Bikeriders" recalls a generation of working class men rebelling against the status quo by driving their own path through life. Some of these men were damaged, coming from broken homes but they all searched for a sense of family which they found together on the open road. The ideology of the bikers transformed following the end of the Vietnam War. These new riders who joined had their views and priorities severely altered after seeing so much destruction and death. The world had changed and society had abandoned them, with some even viewing these veterans as the enemy. Now being part of a gang of rebels had taken on a whole new meaning.
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