The 1960s were a period of social unrest, and Jeff Nichols’ latest film, The Bikeriders, dives right into that turbulent era. Starring heavyweights like Tom Hardy, Austin Butler, and Jodie Comer, the film has grossed an impressive $10 million during its opening weekend.
Based on Danny Lyon’s acclaimed 1968 photobook, the movie explores the fictional Chicago Vandals, a motorcycle club reminiscent of real-life outlaw groups like the Hells Angels and the Outlaws. Lyons’ original book was not just a visual treat but also an authentic dive into biker culture. According to Nichols, The first thing that grabs you are the faces and the photographs. It feels like a cool world, a real specific world.
Casting Brilliance
One of the strong points of the film is its casting. Austin Butler portrays Benny while Jodie Comer plays his girlfriend and later wife, Kathy. Their complex relationship anchors the narrative. Butler shared in an interview how sense of nostalgia
played a significant role for him in connecting with his character.
The background of these characters and their relationships are fleshed out through Comer’s nuanced performance as Kathy and Tom Hardy as Johnny Davis, the leader who brings Benny into the fold of the Vandals.
A Visual Journey
Inspired by Lyon’s raw and compelling photography, Nichols takes audiences through a visual journey that highlights both the allure and perils of this subculture. The movie deploys Lyon’s stark images and interviews to create an immersive experience.
Nichols reflects on how Danny looking back on it (his time with bikers) … saying that this was unique to this place at this time and it can’t exist again.
This sentiment resonates deeply throughout the film’s narrative arc.
Reflections on Motorcycle Culture
Lyon documented these daring bikers up close. He immersed himself within their community to capture their authentic essence, which comes through vividly in the narrative structure of the movie. Notably, former Outlaws members have stated their lifestyle is often misunderstood, being more about embracing an alternative way of life rather than crime.
The Subtextual Layers
While ensuring to steer clear from presenting a documentary tone, Nichols underscores universal themes within specific moments experienced by these characters. Kathy’s reflection serves to peel back layers of mythos surrounding biker gangs, exposing personal struggles and searching for identity.
Nichols himself notes: When you’re looking at these guys… you start to see how their brains work, and hopefully you start to identify with them a little bit…
A Reflective Ending
The final act captures Lyon’s sense that biker culture he once recorded is lost to time. As Jeff Nichols eloquently puts it: The beginning and middle’s contained in the book…but the end is really contained in Danny looking back on it…
This approach grounds The Bikeriders as not just an adventure flick but also a reflection on fleeting moments.
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