The first films on motorcycle topics did not tell about the adventures of bikers. The reason for this is very simple: between the year of the invention of the motorcycle (1885) and the appearance of biker clubs (the end of the 40s of the 202nd century), there was a distance of 60 years.
However, a real boom in cinema arose precisely on the topic of bikers, their lifestyle. Before bikers, motorcycles and everything connected with them did not attract the public too much, since motorcycles were rarely seen on the roads, they were expensive, not everyone could afford them. Simply put, it was a curiosity that few people saw. In addition, it was believed that bikes were the lot of strange, slightly obsessed techies who liked to ride with the breeze.
Therefore, very few films were made before The Savage, only 14. The short film of 1909, The Uncontrolled Motorcycle, produced in Great Britain, is recognized as the first-born of cinema in the motorcycle theme today. It told about a little boy who was offended by his older brother, and his terrible revenge. He planted a bomb in his brother’s motorcycle, only slightly miscalculated the power and destroyed the whole house along with the motorcycle.
This is how a movie about motorcycle racing, as well as plain short films, would have been shot for several more decades, if bikers had not categorically declared themselves, thereby actually forcing movie bosses to draw attention to themselves.
Symbol of the biker subculture
Of course, this is “The Savage”, one of the best acting work of Marlon Brando. Probably, there was simply no more suitable actor for the role of Johnny, who was the leader of the biker gang in the film. Brando and his character are surprisingly similar to each other: both rebel, disagree with the imposed rules and oppose the restrictions imposed on them by society, both rode a bike and walked in leather jackets.
“Savage” was a kind of comprehension of the ” Hollister riot” of bikers that took place in 1947, and formed a negative image of bikers in the mass consciousness: in the film, two gangs of bikers fight each other in a small town, hooligans and outrageous acts, and local residents tolerate them until for the time being, but then they give the motorcyclists a decisive rebuff. Parallel to the events described, Johnny has an affair with the charming daughter of the local sheriff.
Surprisingly, despite portraying bikers in a negative light, Brando’s performance was so convincing that it attracted a lot of people into the ranks of bikers. Now, 70 years after the release of the film, it can be said that “The Savage” demonstrated what a proper biker should be like, how he should behave, what beliefs he should hold. Actually, this is his cult status for bikers.
Heyday
The next 30 years after the release of “The Savage” can rightfully be called the golden age for biker cinema. Hollywood producers have seen firsthand that bikers sell better than motorcycle racing or boring short films.
Pale copies of “The Savage” began to churn out one by one, and by the beginning of the 80s of the 20th century, about 170 films had been made. Of course, they weren’t even close to the success that fell on the Savage. But, nevertheless, there was one diamond in this huge pile of slag.
We are talking about “Easy Rider” in 1969 , about two bikers, “Captain America” and Billy, who raised a solid jackpot on drugs and decided to travel around the States.
The end of the 60s was the time of the hippies, the time of protest and challenging the older generation, concentrated on a career and the accumulation of material wealth. The main characters of “Easy Rider” at first are also intoxicated with a sense of freedom and the ability to do what they please, but at the end of the journey, having gone through several skirmishes with American cattle , they understand that most of America absolutely does not need freedom, that they hate freedom and its adherents. As a result , rednecks kill bikers simply because they fiercely hate everyone who is different from them and does not want to bend to their rules.
In general, if you want to watch cool camera work, feel the spirit of the rebellious 60s, see how the main characters smoke real marijuana in the movies, and not its substitutes, find out where the fashion for bikes with long front wheel forks came from, then welcome to watching Easy Rider.
Other notable films
In the future, interest in biker themes subsided, as moviegoers were already fed up with ” bikers “. Of the latest films that stirred up the faded interest in bikers, one can single out “Chasing the Shadow” and “ Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man.
“Chasing the Shadow” at first glance is an ordinary action movie with an equally ordinary plot about a cop embedded in a biker gang. However, the key value of the film is a detailed demonstration of the customs of motorcycle clubs and their “inner kitchen”, which is rare for biker films.
Harley _ Davidson and the Marlboro Man is a typical buddy movie about the adventures of two bosom friends who meet by chance in a bar in order to confront a cruel banker after a series of unforeseen events.
Series about bikers
In principle, enough series have been made about motorcyclists, but the undisputed top 1 among them is, of course, Sons of Anarchy. This is the name of the biker club from California, which, in fact, tells the series.
It is worth seeing if only because it shows modern bikers, their customs and traditions. Fans of symbolism will also be pleased: the patches, tattoos and decorations of motorcycles are present and worked out in detail. But, in my opinion, the dramatic part and the characters of the main characters, which are sometimes too contradictory, are the strongest in the series. TV viewers did not understand their motives so much that heated discussions flared up on this issue more than once. So for those who love Shakespeare-style dramas, Sons of Anarchy is the place to be.