1960s rebellion, biker clubs, and high-speed shots of Austin Butler and Tom Hardy on vintage motorcycles all serve as cornerstones to the latest brainchild of Jeff Nichols.
Jeff Nichols had dreamt of making a film about a 1960s motorcycle club for over 20 years.
The obsession started in his brother’s apartment, when he first cracked open Danny Lyon’s book “The Bikeriders”, a New Journalism-style account of the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club in the mid-1960s. He could see the movie in his mind: A story about rebels, romantics, frauds and the end of an era.
But he didn’t quite realize just how terrifying it would be to film the motorcycles in motion.
The bikes were vintage. The actors, including Austin Butler and Tom Hardy, would be riding at high speeds. And there would be no helmets. At some point, one of his stunt coordinators just came out with it: “There is no way to make this 100% safe.”
They went for it. The danger was kind of the point. And everyone made it out unscathed.
Their motorcycle expert (and amateur philosopher) said something that stuck with Butler. It is dangerous, but it can also be empowering.
“Your life is in your hands,’” Butler said. “But it’s also an incredible act of self-love. You have to look out for yourself. Nobody else can do it for you.”
“The Bikeriders” ( racing into theaters nationwide Friday ) is a rare summer gem: An original film with stars (including Jodie Comer, Michael Shannon, Norman Reedus and Mike Faist), cool cred, pathos and a clear-eyed wistfulness for a moment, and a type of guy, that was vanishing even as it was happening.
“There is all this romanticism around this subculture. It’s easy to become ‘Grease’ really quickly”, Nichols said. “This is a film that’s really about nostalgia. There is a sadness that comes with that. But there’s also a joy in remembering it.”Catching a Star on the Rise
Nichols has always had luck with casting, getting movie stars in his films right as they’re about to break big. Before he made “Take Shelter”, he remembered a producer asking, “who this Jessica Chastain was.” For “The Bikeriders”, it was Butler. ” Elvis ” had yet to come out. He didn’t yet know about ” Dune: Part Two.” But when he met him, he was certain. “This guy’s a movie star, you know?” Nichols said.
“I read a lot of scripts and this one just felt different”, Butler said. “It felt full of humanity and these cinematic moments I could see in my mind’s eye. … I felt like I was being invited into this other world. And he was one of the coolest characters I’ve ever read.”
Butler’s Benny is also the most enigmatic of the bunch: A guy whose face is never shown in Lyon’s book and who is never interviewed — just talked about.
“I love how Jeff talks about him as being this empty cup that everybody wants to fill with their own expectations and their own responsibilities. He doesn’t want any of that”, Butler said.
