Film of the Week #70 - American Graffiti (1973)

Pigman II

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069704/

After the failure (both commercially and critically) of 1971's THX-1138 George Lucas went back to the drawing board to create a movie that would be more appealing to 70's audiences. The result was a semi-autobiographical account of his time growing up in Modesto California called American Graffiti.

Cast

Richard Dreyfuss (Curt Henderson)
Ron Howard (Steve Bolander)
Paul Le Mat (John Milner)
Charles Martin Smith (Terry 'The Toad' Fields)
Cindy Williams (Laurie Henderson)
Candy Clark (Debbie Dunham)
Mackenzie Phillips (Carol)
Wolfman Jack (himself)
Harrison Ford (Bob Falfa)

Plot (contains spoilers)

The film, set in 1962, takes place over a single night and follows the adventures of four high-school friends on the last night of summer before two of them (Curt Henderson and Steve Bolander) must board the plane that will take them off to college on the East coast.

The four friends (Curt, Steve, Terry the Toad and John Milner) start off the movie together at Mel's Diner but quickly become separated by fate and the film follows their four stories intercutting each in a series of vignettes presented in a way that hadn't been seen in western cinema at the time.

The stories themselves are simple and simply told. Steve (the high school hero) is having relationship issues with his girlfriend Laurie that he must resolve before heading off. Terry (the class geek) has ditched his scooter in favour of his first car and is determined to score some booze for Debbie, the new woman in his life. John (the street racing king and towns bad apple) is forced into the unwanted position of having to baby-sit Carol (the little sister of a friend) and has to find a way to get her home before she gets him in big trouble. Curt (the thoughtful bookworm) is on a mission to contact a beautiful woman (nicknamed “the blonde in the T-bird" ) and decides the best way to accomplish this is to locate the mysterious "Wolfman" a gravel-voiced Disc Jockey rumoured to be broadcasting on the Mexico border.

Meanwhile a new street-racer named Bob Falfa (Harrison Ford) stalks the strip looking for John Milner in order to challenge him to a drag-race on the outskirts of town. The film ends on a high followed by a sobering epilogue that details what happened to our four heroes’ lives after the final credits rolled. It then quickly switches back to some happy bubble-gum Beach boys music that is totally out of sync with what we have just learnt.

Themes

The central theme of this movie (as with all Lucas films) is "when the time comes to leave your safe and familiar surroundings, will you be brave enough to make that choice?" In American Graffiti two of the four main characters (Steve and Curt) are faced with this dilemma and must use this night to evaluate their relationships and positions before setting off on a new adventure.

Another constant Lucas theme used in this movie is the relationship between man and machine. In Graffiti the automobile is another of the stars. "Cruising" was a uniquely American mating ritual and Lucas (along with cinematographer Haskall Wexler) recreates the look and feel of classic 50's/60's automobiles driving up and down the strip that you don't for a second doubt looked this way for real.

Music plays an integral role too. In particular, peoples’ relationship with music and especially the DJs who play the music. Many of us say we "love" or identify with this or that DJ even though we may have never met this person. Lucas explored this notion previously in a 1967 student film called "The Emperor" and this subject becomes increasingly prevalent here as Curt, rather than consulting a parent or a peer, seeks out the unknown Wolfman for help and advice.

Technical notes

The major innovation in the movie is the use of sound. Pop music from the era plays from start to finish and Walter Murch (the original master of sound design imho) brings a unique sonic feel to this movie. The 40 or so classic songs on the soundtrack are not simply played OVER the movie but are instead played THROUGH the movie, "worldising" them if you will. So when a record is played in the school-hall we hear it full of echo and reverb rather than something clear and distinct that was just slapped on it post-production. When a car drives towards camera the volume increases or when a car drives off camera the music wails off like a police-siren experiencing the Doppler Effect. The music is muffled too just like you might hear out of a car window so it all just adds to the authenticity of it all. To show the importance and prevalence of music here one of the characters gets his car stolen and only first realises it is even gone because the music from the radio has disappeared.

Another fascinating aspect of the movie is the use of technicope film stock. This was basically a step up from 16mm and this gives the movie a grainy desaturated look which (rather than diminishing the movies look) seems to add to it. It feels as though Graffiti is documentary footage that was dug out of the ground and that you've been given a glimpse of a long lost era straight out of a time capsule.

Legacy

Made on a budget of just under $800,000 (tiny even by Hollywood standards of the day) Graffiti went on to gross over $100,000,000 in the USA alone. George Lucas received his first (of two) Best Director Academy Award nominations and most of the young cast went onto have long and successful careers both in front and behind the camera. The financial success of the movie gave Lucas the power and independence to pursue his next project (an update of 1930's sci-fi serials that eventually became known as "Star Wars") and Graffiti convinced Harrison Ford not to abandon his acting career for one in carpentry - a decision that would lead him to eventually become the highest grossing actor in Hollywood history.

Personal opinion

I have to say I love this movie and have done ever since I first saw it aged around 12/13. This is a film I can put on any time and come away feeling better for having seen it again. I strongly identify with Lucas's themes of being brave enough to make major changes in your life and I also love the idea of "relationships with DJs" as this is something experienced myself having been a huge fan of DJ John Peel for a very long time and almost feeling like a part of his family - insofar as you could be with someone you'd never met. The cars are pretty cool too!

Character wise, it's easy to identify with many of the trials faced by the four teenagers during the movie (e.g. I think we've all had that awkward experience of trying to buy underage beer in the off-licence?) and the ending just leaves me with chills every time, reminding me that life is fleeting and that we must live for today, that we must be brave enough to make choices and then act on them rather than just let fate push us where it may.

From a technical point of view this movie is equally fascinating to me when I consider what they managed to achieve on such a small budget and tight production schedule.

I admit that I find it hard to sell this one to people when I mention it in conversation as the movie really has no plot and feels like something from a ‘long time ago in a country far far away’. Not to mention you just say the words "George Lucas" and eyes immediately turn upwards. However I guess I'll leave this FOTW with the point that usually causes me to bring up this movie in the first place. George Lucas is frequently accused of being “unable to direct". If you feel that way then check this one out and then maybe you might change your mind on this matter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h32Kdrh0Z48

Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT3aK2O6_8g

Scene

lodgepole

God, I remember staying up very late to watch this on UTV back in 1994 or 1995 when I was in second year in school and being blown away by this film. A couple of years later when Dazed and Confused became the film to watch I was pushing people to see what I could clearly see was the blueprint for it.

There are three films you have to see if you have an interest in sound design and Walter Murch did all of them... THX-1138, American Graffiti and The Conversation. As with THX and The Conversation, he is almost as responsible as Lucas for the quality of this film.

And it's an incredible film from start to finish, but I think my favourite scene is when Richard Dreyfus goes to visit Wolfman Jack, from the fridge full of popsicles to the brief reveal before he leaves...

The sequel (More American Graffiti) is for completists only... It's full of interesting ideas but fails on pretty much all of them, in particular the horrendous Vietnam sequences.

Great choice for film of the week... I hope anybody who hasn't seen it will pick it up based on your post.

Pride Fighter

Good choice, I like this film.

lodgepole

I'm surprised so few people have anything to say about this film...

Pigman II

I'm not really that surprised. Despite how big it was I don't remember anyone ever bringing it up in conversation with me. Most people have never even heard of it when I mention it.

Dudess

I'm a huge Richard Dreyfuss fan. He was an absolute superstar in the 70s - American Graffiti, Jaws, Close Encounters, The Goodbye Girl... Four big films in the 70s - two of them massive. That's Tom Hanks in the 90s kinda fame. And nothing of any consequence since. He's not even that well known to generations who don't remember the 70s. I only heard of him first in my mid to late teens.
Pity - magnificent actor. I think he does neurotic, self obsessed Jew far better than Woody Allen.

Pigman II

Yeah Dreyfuss was a legend in the 70's. He did one good movie in the 80's called "Tin Men" (and had a significant cameo in "Stand By Me") but after "Stakeout" came out he seemed to just drop off the quality radar completely. I guess a lot of actors go that way when a piece of crap becomes a big hit.

faceman

Wanted to get my comments in before the next FotW.

Unfortunately Im not a big fan of this movie, it was ok but its far too dated for my liking now. (i havent seen it in 10 years now)

I echo Dudess and Pigman II comment about Dreyfuss too, he was always a pleasure to watch.