Five East Pieces. (15.)
Directed by Bob Rafelson. 1970.
Starring Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, Susan Anspach, Lois Smith, Ralph Waite, Billy Green Bush. Out on Blu-ray and DVD from Criterion Collection on November 16th. 98 mins
Is there a more natural and instinctive screen presence than Jack Nicholson? His stardom seems innate, a matter of course. Hard to believe then that he spent nearly a decade and a half knocking around Hollywood and TV, doing bit parts without anyone saying, "Hey, that bloke's a natural."
Big breaks tend to come in two parts. You need the role that gets you recognised, but the important one is the follow-up, the confirmation, the one that tells audiences that they really could make a habit of watching this guy or girl. Easy Rider got him noticed the previous year, but it was Five Easy Pieces in 1970 that sealed the deal.
How could it not? The role of Bobby Dupree is almost a showreel for his talents, packed with crackerjack moments for him to exploit – Jack flailing despairingly at his car; Jack stuck in an epic traffic jam, Jack arguing with the diner waitress.
It also demonstrates his range. At the beginning we assume that Dupree is just another disillusioned blue-collar worker, slogging away on oil rigs and stuck in an unfulfilling relationship with Tammy Wynette-loving waitress Rayette (Black.) Gradually though it is revealed that he is from an entirely different, more privileged, background. The two halves of his character are diametrically opposed yet you unquestioningly believe him in both contexts.
Like Nicholson's performance, the film is trying to ram in lots of good bits. It starts off in baking hot Southern oil field and trailer trash territory, then slips in a brief road movie section before rounding off with a conclusion on a Bergmanesque secluded island, filled with Bergmanesque gloom. It's a rambling, seemingly aimless piece and the way it bypasses many of the traditional narrative landmarks can be a bit off-putting on the first viewing.
This Bobby Dupree is a nasty piece of work, angry, spiteful and destructive. The film isn’t much kinder; it doesn’t seem to have a good word for anyone. The fun it has at the expense of Rayette seems condescending but at least it doesn’t sanctify Dupree’s bad behaviour just because he’s a “rebel.”
That's the oddity of this film. Because it is this cast, at this time, in the production company’s follow up to Easy Rider, you can’t help expecting it to “mean” something, to have something to say. Alienation usually lends itself easily to some kind of broad generational statement yet Bobby’s estrangement remains stubbornly his own concern. Which is no doubt why it has aged so well. It is often very funny and more enjoyable than a film this filled with despair should be.
Supplements
Audio commentary by director Bob Rafelson and interior designer Toby Rafelson
Directed by Bob Rafelson. 1970.
Starring Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, Susan Anspach, Lois Smith, Ralph Waite, Billy Green Bush. Out on Blu-ray and DVD from Criterion Collection on November 16th. 98 mins
Is there a more natural and instinctive screen presence than Jack Nicholson? His stardom seems innate, a matter of course. Hard to believe then that he spent nearly a decade and a half knocking around Hollywood and TV, doing bit parts without anyone saying, "Hey, that bloke's a natural."
Big breaks tend to come in two parts. You need the role that gets you recognised, but the important one is the follow-up, the confirmation, the one that tells audiences that they really could make a habit of watching this guy or girl. Easy Rider got him noticed the previous year, but it was Five Easy Pieces in 1970 that sealed the deal.
How could it not? The role of Bobby Dupree is almost a showreel for his talents, packed with crackerjack moments for him to exploit – Jack flailing despairingly at his car; Jack stuck in an epic traffic jam, Jack arguing with the diner waitress.
It also demonstrates his range. At the beginning we assume that Dupree is just another disillusioned blue-collar worker, slogging away on oil rigs and stuck in an unfulfilling relationship with Tammy Wynette-loving waitress Rayette (Black.) Gradually though it is revealed that he is from an entirely different, more privileged, background. The two halves of his character are diametrically opposed yet you unquestioningly believe him in both contexts.
Like Nicholson's performance, the film is trying to ram in lots of good bits. It starts off in baking hot Southern oil field and trailer trash territory, then slips in a brief road movie section before rounding off with a conclusion on a Bergmanesque secluded island, filled with Bergmanesque gloom. It's a rambling, seemingly aimless piece and the way it bypasses many of the traditional narrative landmarks can be a bit off-putting on the first viewing.
This Bobby Dupree is a nasty piece of work, angry, spiteful and destructive. The film isn’t much kinder; it doesn’t seem to have a good word for anyone. The fun it has at the expense of Rayette seems condescending but at least it doesn’t sanctify Dupree’s bad behaviour just because he’s a “rebel.”
That's the oddity of this film. Because it is this cast, at this time, in the production company’s follow up to Easy Rider, you can’t help expecting it to “mean” something, to have something to say. Alienation usually lends itself easily to some kind of broad generational statement yet Bobby’s estrangement remains stubbornly his own concern. Which is no doubt why it has aged so well. It is often very funny and more enjoyable than a film this filled with despair should be.
Supplements
Audio commentary by director Bob Rafelson and interior designer Toby Rafelson
- Soul Searching in "Five Easy Pieces," a 2009 video piece featuring Rafelson
- BBStory, a 2009 documentary about the legendary film company BBS Productions, with Rafelson; actors Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, and Ellen Burstyn; filmmakers Peter Bogdanovich and Henry Jaglom; and others
- Documentary from 2009 about BBS featuring critic David Thomson and historian Douglas Brinkley
- Audio excerpts from a 1976 AFI interview with Rafelson
- Trailers and teasers
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- PLUS: An essay by critic Kent Jones.
