By: debbie lynn elias
Who hasn’t read Jack Kerouac’s iconic ON THE ROAD? Since its first publication in 1947, ON THE ROAD, has become a touchstone for generations – and a long anticipated and hoped for screen adaptation. Director Walter Salles and screenwriter, Jose Rivera, have now taken Kerouac’s novel (which was edited from his original 120 foot scroll. Yes, Kerouac scribbled out the novel over the course of 3 weeks on a scroll of paper) and delivered it in all of its period-perfect glory to the big screen. With an almost episodic feel and tone of Hunter S. Thompson meets Charles Bukowski, ON THE ROAD is glossy, slick and emotionally gritty and garners an impeccable standout performance by Sam Riley as Sal Paradise aka Kerouac in the novel.
We all know (or should know) the story. Sal Paradise (aka Jack Kerouac) is a young writer whose life gets turned on its head with the arrival of hipster con-man, Dean Moriarty (aka Neal Cassady). With a silken Texas drawl, Dean could sell snow to the Eskimos, but as it is, convinces Sal to take part in his free-spirited Benzedrene-fueled lifestyle, complete with sexual exploration, petty theft, con jobs, and experiencing the “true” America over the course of several years. With an odd assortment of characters from all walks of life, we meet Deanfs girlfriend Marylou (aka LuAnne) , his eventual wife Camille (Carolyn Cassady), Carlo (aka Allen Ginsberg)- “best friend” of Dean and Sal, Old Bull Lee and his wife Jane (William S. Burroughs and Joan Vollmer), and Galatea and Ed Dunkel (Helen and Al Hinkle).
While many believe that Dean is the film’s protagonist, I beg to differ and see it as being Sal who serves as our eyes not just visually and psychologically in the story, but into the character of Dean. As Sal, Sam Riley brings a tacit and observant nuance that draws us into Dean’s juvenile frat boy mind set. I had the pleasure of interviewing Sam Riley after he did Brighton Rock. He blew me away not only with that performance but with his candor during our chat. To see him here as Sal melds Sam the actor and Sam the man. He is outstanding. He also serves to keep us at arm’s length lest we fall prey to Dean’s charms and lies. Riley is riveting.
But then so is Garrett Hedlund. Gorgeous, hunky, sexy. On the one hand a charmer as Dean, but on the other, reckless with complete disregard for everyone and everything except himself, and even then, he has no respect for himself. Hedlund makes Dean unredeemable and by film’s midpoint, unlikeable. You stop even rooting for him. He is the one character that stagnates. He never grows. He only wallows. Yet, Hedlund lures us into Dean’s downward spiral cultivating intrigue.
Kristen Stewart, attached to the project for many years, brings a promiscuous naivete and freedom to Marylou that is a perfect complement to Sal and Dean. Stewart can be the perfect courtesan and play to each of them, but does so with a beautiful sadness that gives Marylou a “little girl lost” quality. A standout scene for Stewart is one with her behind the wheel driving and confessing to Sal of her desire for a home, husband, child, family. Stewart is softly exquisite.
As Carlo, Tom Sturridge takes me by surprise. Having seen him in Waiting for Forever, here he really shows his range as an actor, delivering a unique and flawed character. Really getting to play two sides of the coin and celebrate bitchiness is Kirsten Dunst who just nails the role of Camille.
The supporting cast are all mind blowing with the real shining star proving to be Amy Adams. As she did in The Master, she “wows but is again short shrifted on screen time. As Jane, and paired with Viggo Mortenson’s Old Bull Lee, these two characters are the most unique in the film, and a couple of whom I would like to visit more.
Adapted for the screen by Jose Rivera, interesting is that while all of the characters are emotionally flawed, it is the 4 principals – Sal, Dean, Marylou and Carlo – that each hides behind a false sense of bravado. We see the armor chink and reality set in with three of them as they grow and mature, while the fourth, Dean, just denigrates further and further, but still blustering with false dreams. Fascinating structure. Due to the sheer volume of the novel and the amount of years of the journeys covered and the cast of characters met along the way, naturally there are many omissions when comparing book to film, not to mention some plot holes. Notably deficient is the Galatea/Ed Dunkel story that actually lingers and distracts with set ups and unanswered questions.
The real star of ON THE ROAD, however, is cinematographer Eric Gautier whose lighting and framing presents a lush rich tapestried travelogue of America and life. So visually textured, there are moments you feel as if you can smell the sweat and smoke in the car, the stale tequila and smell of sex and whores mixed with the dust of the road in Mexico. Visuals are so impactful they engage the other senses. Lensing and framing is such that while there is a great sense of freedom and the open road of life, you also feel the intimacy and claustrophobic nature of the walls of life bearing down and closing in on each character.
And going hand in hand with Gautier’s work is that of production designer Carlos Conti who, thanks to impeccable research, perfectly captures the era right down to a 1940’s Hudson while the work of editor Francois Gedigier is instrumental in defining the emotional and psychological insight and intimacy of each character as well as the emotional freneticism of ringleader Dean.
ON THE ROAD takes you on a visual and emotionally visceral experience of freedom and freedom of expression.
Directed by Walter Salles
Written by Jose Rivera
Cast: Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Tom Sturridge, Amy Adams, Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortenson, Alice Braga, Elisabeth Moss
