On the occasion of the release of “The Bikeriders”, here are five things to know about this film by Jeff Nichols, led by Austin Butler, Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy.
What is it about ? In a bar in the city, Kathy, a young woman with a strong temperament, meets Benny, who has just joined the Vandals biker gang, and immediately falls under his spell. Like the entire country, the gang, led by the enigmatic Johnny, is evolving little by little…
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While the bikers welcomed all those who had difficulty finding their place in society, the Vandals became a band of shameless thugs. Benny will then have to choose between Kathy and his loyalty to the gang.
An original true story
The Bikeriders is inspired by the book of photographs of the same name, published in 1967 by Danny Lyon (played by Mike Faist), given to Jeff Nichols by his brother a few years ago. The director explains what interested him in these photos: “I have always sought to address universal themes in my films. Because if the story we are telling has a universal resonance, it is then possible to make a very personal film which seems to belong to a very specific region and era. unique and which, at the same time, resonates with a wide and diverse audience. The Bikeriders speaks to our quest for identity.”
“He talks about American and masculine identity, but if we only think in those terms, we miss a broader reflection. We are all seeking to forge an identity for ourselves. I believe that This is one of the most powerful forces moving through our society today. People no longer define themselves solely by their job or the university they studied at. They refer to their gender. , to their ethnic origin, to their culture, to their history to form a strong identity. What I find interesting is that in our quest for an identity, we very often refer to communities.
Note that, to devote himself to The Bikeriders, Jeff Nichols abandoned the prequel to Quietly That He was to direct (it was taken over by Michael Sarnoski, to whom we owe the strange Pig). The filmmaker also relied on two films to prepare The Bikeriders: The Wild Team with Marlon Brando, the starting point for the character of Johnny, and of course Easy Rider by Dennis Hopper.
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Survivor of “The Walking Dead”
Norman Reedus, famous for his character Daryl in The Walking Dead, plays a biker from another group, with a striking look to say the least. He recalls during an ITW given to Numéro Magazine: “I read the script and I said to Jeff (Nichols), ‘There are too many good-looking guys in this movie. It’s just leather and tobacco and all that. Can I try some thing?’ And he said: ‘Of course.’ And so I play Funny Sonny, a slightly crazy character with bad teeth, a wig and a big, itchy beard!
Motorcycling in the blood
Austin Butler grew up in a biker environment, since his father and his grandfather before him were riders. When his grandparents moved from California to Arizona, he and his father would hop on their motorcycles and ride all day to visit them, as the actor confides: “When I was 16, my father thought it was time I learned to ride one of these machines and so he simply asked me to ride a motorcycle in a parking lot.”
“After discussing the role of Benny with Jeff, I didn’t stop training. And when I was filming Elvis in Australia, I met a guy who was rebuilding old Harleys and with whom I went on rides. “It was my first time riding an old bike. It helped me in my preparation.”
During filming, the actor and the director regularly went on two-wheel trips together.
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Reproduce Chicago
The action of The Bikeriders takes place in Chicago. However, the film was filmed in and around Cincinnati. It’s a Midwestern city that offered the production both urban and rural environments, as well as neighborhoods reminiscent of 1960s Chicago, which no longer exist in today’s city.
Collector stuntman
Vehicle stuntman Jeff Milburn passed on his passion for motorcycles to the film crew and also made his collection of retro vehicles available, which wasn’t really in his contract: “I own a lot of retro vehicles myself, as do several of my friends, so we decided to round up several motorcycles that I knew were available and show them to Jeff.”
The stunt director and the director therefore jointly chose 45 vintage motorcycles which appear in the film. Milburn also recounts this anecdote: “In the 80s, I rode a particular motorcycle to work: it’s the one Karl Glusman uses and he worked hard to deserve to ride it. He’s crazy and I love it. love it!”
