THE ELECTRIC HORSEMAN (1979) *** An American fairy tale, from those last moments of dusk when fairy tales could be told without interruptions in the middle about how all fairy tales and dreams are brought to you by Exxon and General Lightbulb. It's about how corporations have reduced the American landscape; physically, psychologically, and spiritually. So the good guy is a rugged individualist cowboy, and the pretty girl is a representative of the free-speech media. Well, that romance, represented here by Robert Redford and Jane Fonda, was a pretty short one anyway, or maybe that's what the movie's closing scenes are saying. It's over. Now there's a message brought to you by General Lightbulb. Redford's at the top of his game, his cowboy accent and intonation are flawless and his command of the philosophy of ideals appears genuine. Jane has been better, but she's very good as the confused and concerned proto-yuppie with too much on the line to worry about what she's giving up. Well hell, if that's what she got across, maybe she was great. Because that's the point. Sydney Pollack shoots the High Desert like it's still full of innocence, and the Las Vegas convention like it's full of creeps. There's not much to criticize, except that maybe in real life there's a little bit too much of the Jane Fonda character in all the principals. Maybe, but Redford's Sundance festival has been a little bit of light in the corners of corporate cinematic hegemony, and even after Jane left Tom Haydon for the guy with big bucks she had plenty of time and resources for the ideals that she kept for longer than any interest in tanks. So it's easy enough to measure humans inadequate by absolute standards, but it gets trickier when they're measured against other humans in the same position. So maybe the indictment is of the way that they end up in those positions, and Redford's discussion with the head corporate goofs offers a helluva lot more insight into that one than any collection of flow charts that I've ever seen. Willie Nelson, well Willie, now, he sings some classic songs and looks right at home settin' around that table of beer bottles. Maybe he's the one who holds up by all those different standards, and maybe that's one of the reason that there ain't no cultural process whereby you end up as a Willie Nelson. Now Willie Nelson, there's a true American fairy tale...'cept in Texas they call 'em legends.
back to Brilliant Observations on 1776 Films home
go back home, or send me email
no more reviews! I want to buy your novel!