Electra Glide in Blue

With those evocative images and that emotionally charged music, the final fifteen minutes are electrifying. It's all about America, and a terrible ten years of assassinations, Viet Nam, and countless other cultural strife. The film's ending is saying ... enough is enough. Let the healing begin. And as American culture bled in the late 1960s and early 1970s, so too did the emotional lives of individuals, like the hodgepodge of aggrieved characters that come and go in this story.

Seeing some of these people and listening to their individual stories of pain and suffering is John Wintergreen (Robert Blake), a by-the-book Arizona motorcycle cop, short on stature but tall on dreams. Sometimes with his partner Zipper (Billy Green Bush), "Big John" encounters these tormented souls, on the road mostly. That's his job. The film's story is an ode to the courage and nobility of ordinary Americans pained by reality with only their dreams to comfort them.

The film's disjointed plot begins with a killing. And this incident keeps the plot moving. But "Electra Glide In Blue" is mostly a character study, not a crime film. Color cinematography is quite good. Interior shots have lots of close-ups, even extreme close-ups. There's a lot of diffuse lighting. Exteriors are shot like a modern-day Western. Indeed, the look and feel of the film is similar in some ways to the old John Ford Westerns, like "The Searchers".

The plot is the main weakness of the film. Some parts are overplayed, like the chase scenes. There's a lack of continuity both in storyline and in visual elements. It's as if many scenes were shot impromptu, on the rush. And some of the acting is way over the top. However, Robert Blake does a fine job as America's everyday cop with his sense of principles.

This film reminds me in some ways of "Zabriskie Point" (1970), a counter culture film which has a powerful ending that helps to make up for earlier plot problems.

Based on a real-life event, "Electra Glide In Blue" gets off to a slow start. Even midway through, one wonders whether this film is going anywhere or has any point to it. It is, and it does. You just have to wait for that powerful ending and its cinematic message of a tormented America, from the point of view of one lonely cop, just doing his job.

Blake, as Big John Wintergreen, is the idealized American who is a Marine Corps veteran from Vietnam, comes back and wants to do the right thing: enforce the law fairly and not give favors to other cops nor hassle the hippies. He is "chopping the wood before him" by riding his Harley, working traffic and the concert and hoping to be a Detective. He tries hard and provides info to the lead Detective but he just can't bring himself to be brutal to the hippies at the commune or hassle the hippie VW Bus drivers. And he is a man, and hence tempted by the delightful Jolene. His traffic partner, Zipper, wants more but doesn't want to work for it like Wintergreen. And amidst all these human dynamics is a murder and theft of cash. Aside from being a great story, there are many specifics that will make you want to watch this film. The 70's flavor is a fun retrospective. The Police Bike vs. dirt bike chase scene is the greatest ever done. The desert scenery never looked better and the Monument Valley morning scene is a real treat. The soundtrack is perhaps the biggest star. You have Du-Wop, Country, Rock and jazz. Sadly, only parts of some songs are in the movie (or are spoken over) and the soundtrack is not available on CD. If you are ever in an old record store, look for the LP in a silver colored cover. You may even be lucky enough to get the posters and picture book that came with the album. I would love to see Rhino records give this soundtrack the same treatment they gave to Casablanca. You will like John Wintergreen and feel his joys and sorrows as his personal and professional life take their ups and downs.

Pigs! Killers! Fascists! Anti-cop? Not a chance. The locals took one peek at the script and threw the entire film crew out of their precinct, and escorted them to the edge of town and beyond. Wow! Sharp bikes. And movie title. Robert Blake is dead on right as the highway cop. He makes up for in height by what he delivers in toughness and compassion. Miss Jeannie Riley plays the love interest of both Blake and his superior. She has a lengthy bar room scene bordering on religious fervor and regret. Nifty character turns by veterans Elisha Cook Jr. and Royal Dano. The action sequences are staged and edited with flair. The great cameraman, Conrad T. Hall, experimented with the interiors, flooding the camera lens with smoke, diffused light and warped, fun house-type angles. Memorable moments one and two: Blake has two great dress-up scenes. The first involves his uniform and motorcycle. The second concerns his new threads when he makes detective. An old do-wop group, The Marcels, invades the soundtrack with the flip side of "Blue Moon." However, the best musical cue occurs at the end of the film. The closing song, "Tell me," written by the producer/director/composer, James W. Guercio, of this film, is a masterpiece of the rock genre. Worthy of an Oscar or Grammy, the song begins with a nod to Blood, Sweat and Tears, travels to Chicago and, later, dismounts in Spectorville. A road and a movie well traveled. And taken

Much chat about this film, especially now since it's 'finally' out on DVD in wide screen format.

This is the best film of a specialized genre from the late 60's through early 1970's exploring the counter-culture revolution and the "Establishment".

Unlike Easy Rider, A Clockwork Orange and Billy Jack, EGIB hits the nail on the head. There is evil everywhere, and good intentions don't always result in good outcomes.

Beautiful directorial debut by Guercio, awesome cinematography by Conrad Hall.

In essence, one of the best films from 1973.

An incredible piece of film making, this beautifully shot movie really is about as poetic as it's possible for cinema to be and still have a coherent, gripping narrative. It feels like a western with its dramatic monument valley backdrop and masculine themes, but plays more like a European movie, with it's dark characterisations and existential mood . The soundtrack is fantastic and the feeling the movie imparts is unique. I always recommend this film to people because so few have ever seen it. I think it's a tragedy that James Guercio didn't make more movies because this was his first (and only) film and it's up there with the best of Peckinpah/Leone/Boorman/Seigal (whose work is similar). I'll never forget this film and the ending will live with me forever. If you like movies you need to see this film, This is real Cinema.