Not "the greatest B movie ever made" - as one critic claims, but it has its moments. It is arguably unique for its time, but as film noirs go, it is pretty ordinary, following many noir conventions. Some of the rules of film noir:
1) People are rotten, and women are the rottenest people. 2) Society lives by rule #1, so people always believe the worst about each other 3) At the bottom of every man's trouble is a very bad woman 4) People are weak and stupid, and men are the weakest and stupidest 5) Evil schemes never succeed. 6) Things are the worst when they look the best.
Spoilers follow:
Life has always been tough for Al Roberts, but he never realizes just how tough life can be until it's too late. His troubles begin when his girlfriend dumps him and heads for Hollywood to become a star. His first mistake is deciding to follow her. In his circumstances, the only way he can get to Hollywood is by hitch-hiking.
He is picked up by a gambler who offers to take him all the way to California, and in appreciation he agrees to share the driving. Things are looking good (see rule #6), so we know this is where it starts to get interesting. And stupid.
The gambler dies of natural causes (fortunately, he wasn't driving) and instead of calling the police, Al decides to rob him, bury him, and take his car, on the grounds that the police would never believe him if he told the truth. See rule #2 above.
Although frightened that someone will find out his secret, and turn him into the police, Al nevertheless decides to pass the kindness of the driver who stopped for him onto someone else. So, he stops and picks up a hitch-hiker, a woman no less. See rule #1 and rule #4.
This movie has one great moment that redeems all the craziness of its dysfunctional universe, and that is when Al - and the audience - realize that his passenger *knows* .. knows what happened to the gambler who gave him a ride. I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it. I'll just say it's one of the best plot twists ever ..
From this point forward, Al is under this woman's control. He dances to her tune, and she has all sorts of plans for him, most of which would not pass close legal scrutiny. See rules #3 and #4.
There is another priceless moment in this movie that'll you'll miss if you blink. Al and Vera, the woman hitch-hiker, are in LA, and have rented an apartment. They make a liquor run for their supper, and after finishing the bottle, Vera announces "I'm going to bed" and puts her hand on Al's shoulder in an unmistakable "care-to-join-me?" gesture. Al's a wuss, but even he has enough spine to pass this invitation. See rules #1 and #3, though Al's response here belies rule #4.
So, is Detour a good movie, or not? Yes, it's a good movie, but it is not a great one. What makes the movie special are the elements that cannot be described, only appreciated while watching the movie. For a non-existent budget and a six-day shooting schedule, Detour is a masterpiece. I can't imagine a better movie being made under similar trying circumstances.
From All Movie Guide: "Directer Ulmer .. succeeds in creating a memorable, dark, nightmare world, uncaring, cynical and brutal. "
I thought every part of the theatrical elements of this story were masterfully done. I love the amoral, fatalistic, decadent ambiance of film noir, and this movie certainly has that.
But, the whole movie turns on a plot point that will not hold: Al thinks that no one would believe him if he told the truth about the man who gave him a ride. In a film noir universe, that may be true; in the real world, it is not, so I cannot buy into the movie experience at the most pivotal point of the story. For that reason, I can only rate Detour a 6 out of 10. Still, it is a remarkable movie given the circumstances under which it was produced.
1) People are rotten, and women are the rottenest people. 2) Society lives by rule #1, so people always believe the worst about each other 3) At the bottom of every man's trouble is a very bad woman 4) People are weak and stupid, and men are the weakest and stupidest 5) Evil schemes never succeed. 6) Things are the worst when they look the best.
Spoilers follow:
Life has always been tough for Al Roberts, but he never realizes just how tough life can be until it's too late. His troubles begin when his girlfriend dumps him and heads for Hollywood to become a star. His first mistake is deciding to follow her. In his circumstances, the only way he can get to Hollywood is by hitch-hiking.
He is picked up by a gambler who offers to take him all the way to California, and in appreciation he agrees to share the driving. Things are looking good (see rule #6), so we know this is where it starts to get interesting. And stupid.
The gambler dies of natural causes (fortunately, he wasn't driving) and instead of calling the police, Al decides to rob him, bury him, and take his car, on the grounds that the police would never believe him if he told the truth. See rule #2 above.
Although frightened that someone will find out his secret, and turn him into the police, Al nevertheless decides to pass the kindness of the driver who stopped for him onto someone else. So, he stops and picks up a hitch-hiker, a woman no less. See rule #1 and rule #4.
This movie has one great moment that redeems all the craziness of its dysfunctional universe, and that is when Al - and the audience - realize that his passenger *knows* .. knows what happened to the gambler who gave him a ride. I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it. I'll just say it's one of the best plot twists ever ..
From this point forward, Al is under this woman's control. He dances to her tune, and she has all sorts of plans for him, most of which would not pass close legal scrutiny. See rules #3 and #4.
There is another priceless moment in this movie that'll you'll miss if you blink. Al and Vera, the woman hitch-hiker, are in LA, and have rented an apartment. They make a liquor run for their supper, and after finishing the bottle, Vera announces "I'm going to bed" and puts her hand on Al's shoulder in an unmistakable "care-to-join-me?" gesture. Al's a wuss, but even he has enough spine to pass this invitation. See rules #1 and #3, though Al's response here belies rule #4.
So, is Detour a good movie, or not? Yes, it's a good movie, but it is not a great one. What makes the movie special are the elements that cannot be described, only appreciated while watching the movie. For a non-existent budget and a six-day shooting schedule, Detour is a masterpiece. I can't imagine a better movie being made under similar trying circumstances.
From All Movie Guide: "Directer Ulmer .. succeeds in creating a memorable, dark, nightmare world, uncaring, cynical and brutal. "
I thought every part of the theatrical elements of this story were masterfully done. I love the amoral, fatalistic, decadent ambiance of film noir, and this movie certainly has that.
But, the whole movie turns on a plot point that will not hold: Al thinks that no one would believe him if he told the truth about the man who gave him a ride. In a film noir universe, that may be true; in the real world, it is not, so I cannot buy into the movie experience at the most pivotal point of the story. For that reason, I can only rate Detour a 6 out of 10. Still, it is a remarkable movie given the circumstances under which it was produced.