Boy and Bicycle

This film was offered as a free treat for BFI members in April, 2011. Easy to be wise after the event, but even so Ridley Scott's mastery of direction, photography and post production seems now to presage a major auteur. Internal evidence (theatre and film posters) suggests that some filming took place in 1961 in which case Scott was a young genius. As others have suggested, it adds up to nothing much. It's just a film poem. But what wonderful imagery. A lot of credits are missing. I reckon that the voice-over is not that of Scott's brother Tony who stars. Who's the mother? Who's the boat owner at the end? Whatever, recommended.

Found as an extra on Ridley's fantastic feature debut, THE DUELLISTS, this short film is actually Ridley Scott's first completed work. Originally done during schooling, the student nature of the film is quite evident. Yet despite this, it is representative of Ridley's unconventional visual style, and his excellent eye for composition. This underrated director gives us stark visuals in black and white and using only natural light, making the film all that much more special. The narrative is somewhat obtuse, a peek into a young boy's thoughts as he rides around a small English town playing hooky. Definitely art house material, and thus not for everybody, but a must see for anyone with an interest in direction, cinematography or a die hard Ridley Scott fan. Almost as essential as THE DUELLISTS itself.

Boy and Bicycle is available on the DVD of Scott's excellent feature debut, The Duellists. It is an abstract, stream-of-consciousness journey into the mind of "The Boy," played by Scott's younger brother Tony. While it may seem like not much happens as we follow Tony through the streets of a smallish English industrial town, the sensation of being inside his head, hearing the sometimes nonsensical interior monologue of a young teenager playing hooky becomes almost hypnotic after a while.

What really stands out about this short film is the early development of Ridley Scott's visual style. His shot composition is amazing for a first effort; Scott is able to use The Boy's surroundings, both natural and man-made, to frame his subject skillfully and direct the viewer's eye to the precise details he wants to emphasize.The black-and-white photography really helps to accent the details of The Boy's surroundings. Scott also is not afraid to experiment with camera angles, using high or low angle shots to capture The Boy from angles that are at once strange but also oddly natural, all the while keeping in mind the fascinating geometry of whatever might be found in the background.

All told, this is a fascinating film that succeeds in transporting the viewer into The Boy's interior world. It is beautifully shot, as one would expect from Ridley Scott. However, it is also in many ways abstract and lacks a conventional narrative structure, which is a bit unexpected and a pleasant surprise from a director who is from time to time unfairly labeled as a maker of big, loud, conventional action pictures.

"Boy and Bicycle" is a short film famed director Ridley Scott made in the early 60's, which was completed in 1965. It offers a very limited narrative about, you guessed it, a boy and his bicycle. A teenage boy rides along the English seaside in search of some solitude with his own thoughts. A lot of teen angst runs through the telling of the story, which is told almost entirely through a difficult to understand voice over track by the star and the director's brother, Tony Scott (who went on to have a film-making career of his own).

There's a nice innocent appeal about it, and the chilly weather comes across particularly well, however there are plenty of the standard student film hindrances as well. Though there are some impressive black and white visuals, the viewer must also contend with a lot of wandering home movie type shots. It's a film that runs long at twenty-seven minutes, and though it might offer a glimmer of what would become a pretty strong director, it's not exactly worth it.

I saw this short film on the dvd for Ridley Scott's film, The Duellists. There was no introduction by Scott before the film, it just started right up.

Boy and a Bicycle is hardly an example of Ridley Scott's other work, it bears no resemblance. The film shows a boy, played by Tony Scott, riding around on a bicycle. Guess what? That's pretty all that happens. The boy rides around, rambling on and on with pointless, confusing dialogue. The film was shot in black and white, and since it was directed by Ridley Scott, I expected some cool cinematography or visually-striking sets. Instead, I was treated with nothing. This film isn't even good for a first effort. However, I recommend that any fan of Ridley Scott should check it out at least once.