Why 1963? This movie had a lot of potential. It could have been a much better movie, if it was just made a few years later. This movie is adapted from a book. The book must have been insightful. Jack Nicholson was an an unknown at the time. It needed a bigger budget. It suffered from a script that was at times aimless. If it was made just a few years later, it could have made Nicholson a household name long before Easy Rider. I have to say I liked a lot of things about the movie. Nicholson, at about Age 22, was already a phenomenal actor. He showed great depth in his acting. His character was an apparent sociopath, but Nicholson showed great sensitivity in his portrayal. While appearing to totally lack a conscience, Nicholson made him appear human and real. In the end, we pitied the man trapped in his role as a mean gang leader. The actors surrounding him were unknowns. However, they were given real roles. They revealed that they were fearful, yet jealous of the gang leader's power. At any moment, they could mutiny. This movie really showed what it was like being in a gang, while avoiding the mistake of being either too dramatic or too preachy. In some ways, teen agers in certain strata were meaner than today's youth. This movie showed that the 50s was not all this "middle-class paradise". There were really messed up people, too. The main flaw of this picture, is that it at times suffers from periods of boredom. There are great moments, and then moments where the movie appears to go nowhere. In the end, I would still recommend this film. It really shows how life was like for the at-risk teens of the 50s, Nicholson was brilliant, and it reveals what gang life was really about.
Review of The Wild Ride
