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A few thoughts onA few thoughts on The Road Movie The Road Movie

Geoff LealandGeoff Lealand

Screen and Media StudiesScreen and Media Studies

University of WaikatoUniversity of Waikato

May 2009May 2009

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The Road MovieFrequently referred to as a Frequently referred to as a film genrefilm genre (as defined in (as defined in

AS90279 AS90279 Demonstrate understanding of aDemonstrate understanding of a media media genregenre), ie the grouping together of similar films, ), ie the grouping together of similar films, which share elements of:which share elements of:

• • charactercharacter • themes/values • themes/values

• • narrative • settingsnarrative • settings

• • music/soundtrackmusic/soundtrack

and, most specifically • mode of transportmode of transport(Adapted from Jones & Thompson (2007) NCEA Level 2: Media Studies)

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Genre

Genre is what we collectively believe it to be.Genre is what we collectively believe it to be.

Barry K. Grant

Genre films essentially ask the audience, ‘Do you Genre films essentially ask the audience, ‘Do you still want to believe this?’still want to believe this?’

Leo Braudy

Road movies: characters• Stock (formulaic) characters eg the sullen driver,

the joker in the back seat, the sexy young hitch-hiker

• Little Miss Sunshine (2007)- the angst-ridden teen- uptight father (driver)- the harassed mother- the gay (and depressive) uncle- the grandfather (with a drug habit)- the plump, slightly misplaced daughter

A dysfunctional family, which is redeemed and reunited as a result of tragedy and triumph on the road journey?

Other characters

• Characters on the run from the law--or from both the law and the lawless eg No Country for Old Men

• Characters on the run from themselves, or their past eg Sideways

• Characters on voyages of discovery (or self-discovery) eg Easy Rider, Japanese Story

• Characters along the way (eg crazed locals; corrupt sheriffs, helpful mechanics etc)

Road movies: NarrativeNarrativeMost road movies follow the

classic Hollywood narrative structure (or ‘arc’).

Road movies follow a linear narrative and plot trajectory ie characters set out on a journey, complications develop along the way, and a final destination (resolution) is reached.

Narrative theory

It has been suggested that the great majority of Hollywood films are variations on two essential stories:

• The fish out of water

• The odd couple

Both stories are ideal for the road movie

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Road movies: settings

Obviously, the Obviously, the roadroad is paramount--usually highways is paramount--usually highways which head towards an unknown horizon, crossing which head towards an unknown horizon, crossing large expanses of unpopulated landscape. Cities large expanses of unpopulated landscape. Cities are to be avoided, and small towns offer both are to be avoided, and small towns offer both temptations and threats.temptations and threats.

The road movie is primarily a continental The road movie is primarily a continental (American?) genre (the lure of the West). (American?) genre (the lure of the West). Australia, another vast continent, also generates Australia, another vast continent, also generates road movies eg road movies eg PriscillaPriscilla, , Travelling NorthTravelling North..

More on settingsIsland cultures --and highly ‘domesticated’ landscapes--produce few road movies.

NZ: Goodbye Pork Pie (1981) and Snakeskin (2001)

Road movies: music/soundtrack

The road trip is always accompanied by music, as either soundtrack (non-diegetic) or car radio/tape/CD player (diegetic).

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Road movies:themes/values

• the search for freedom or releasethe search for freedom or release• discarding or escaping the pastdiscarding or escaping the past• on the runon the run• creating a new identitycreating a new identity• finding one’s self or love or familyfinding one’s self or love or family• fantasies of adventure (financial, sexual, violent)fantasies of adventure (financial, sexual, violent)• the disintegration of the dream (dystopia)the disintegration of the dream (dystopia)

Road movies: mode of transport

Obviously, the car but also occasionally a bus or motor-home (eg About Schmidt)

A sub-genre would be the long-distance motorcycle trip (Easy Rider, Motorcycle Diaries)

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So …

Is the road movie a coherent genre?

……from the darkest, to the most banal, all from the darkest, to the most banal, all road movies have something in common; a road movies have something in common; a road and socio-economic reason d’etre…road and socio-economic reason d’etre…they reflect the times they are made in and they reflect the times they are made in and the road is the great leveler.the road is the great leveler.Sam North. ‘The Road Movie’, www.hackwriters.com/roadone.htm, 11/6/08

The road has always been a persistent theme of American culture … road movies project American Western mythology onto the landscape traversed and bound by the nation’s highways.

S. Cohan & I.R. Hark, (1997) Introduction in The Road Movie Book, London: Routledge, 1

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The road defines the space between town and country. It is an empty expanse, a tabula rosa, the last true frontier.

M. Dargis,’Roads to Freedom’, Sight and Sound 3

(1991), 14-18

The heyday of the road movie…

was in American cinema in the 1970s, when escape on the road still seemed possible, the roads still seemed to lead to adventure, and there was a yearning for a different life (eg the hippy dreams of Easy Rider or Zabriskie Point).

In 2009….. In 2009….. Such dreams have largely disappeared.

The wilderness has been tamed, everything is mapped, the roads are crowded. In most contemporary versions of the road (with some comedic exceptions), we already know what lies at the end of the journey--death, disaster and disappointment. When we set out on the road, we now take our home with us.