Amblin'

Too see Spielberg in his early years has always been a thrill for me. I'm always looking for a film that he made in the days before "Jaws" and such. This particular film is no exception. It's about two hitchhikers who become friends in the end as they hitchhike.

The scenery was great, the story was good, the acting (despite no dialog) was good. I really liked this movie. It's a shame that Spielberg calls it a "Long Pepsi Commericial," because I see it as something more. I see it as a film about being separated from everyone else and then finding a friend along the way and being able to open up to others.

Two hitchhikers cross paths and travel together.

The filmmaking craft on display is excellent, as the camera and editing tells the story perfectly. It has a great use of landscapes, body language, tracking shots, lighting, shadows, music, and some especially effective transitions. I love how everything you see tells you what you need to know about the characters.

As for the story, it is depends how interested you are in the characters for how much you are likely to take out of it. I liked the portrayal of the characters that builds up to a fairly good reveal, but other than for the technical aspects it is not something I would personally choose to rewatch. It works well if you like sixties nostalgia.

For aspiring filmmakers it is worth watching to see what can be achieved with minimal resources.

This is Spielberg at his most natural and fluid, loving every minute of being behind the camera. A short, sharp, comedy - road movie. This has a bittersweet quirkiness and some genuine touches of genius. Witness the opening credits, to see the influence of Saul Bass. Spielberg is toying around, being inventive and inquisitive, and his cast serve him well. Those who have been brought up on a diet of Shooting Gallery shorts, should really check this out, to see where it is at!!! Excellent!!!

Y'all can expect a lot of Spielberg reviews for a while, because one of my modules, one of my last ever uni modules (christ time goes fast), is about him.

And this is the earliest thing we're watching by him. And sure, he was inexperienced here, and sure, the version of this you're most likely to see looks and sounds like absolute rubbish. But if we can ignore that...which I did manage to do, I really do think this showcases a hell of a lot of talent early on in his career.

Like, there are a lot of really memorable shots in this, the two lead performances are pretty great, and it's a really good example of how to tell a story with no dialogue. Admittedly, it is a pretty simple story, and it wouldn't win any screenplay awards, but I do think these two characters are surprisingly well defined for the limited time spent with them.

And the soundtrack is really good at setting the atmosphere, so if you don't mind looking at aged film prints that ended up making this look like a hippie fever dream, then check it out if you want to see the origins of one of the masters.

Look this isn't a horrible film. Someone who commented on this said it was the worst thing ever, and I think he's got to take a few steps backwards. I watched this and films like it to understand where the great directors started. Frankly their were many issues with this film, but it's a terrific learning tool. I myself just finished filming my own short film called Night Falls. I'm the same age that Spielberg was when he directed this film, 21. I have aspirations to one day become a great director but I find myself having many problems. So to watch this makes me feel like I'm not alone. Spielberg was once worried that he would never make it. He had to learn over the years and refine his skills.

In short watch this film if your an aspiring director.