Five Easy Pieces (Bob Rafelson, 1970): USA
Reviewed by Byron Potau. Viewed on DVD.
Many films are there for entertainment, but only a handful of them really strike a chord in dealing with life’s complexities. And that is just what Bob Rafelson’s 1970 film Five Easy Pieces does. This character study has incredible depth that so few films ever reach, or even try for.
Angry loner and oil rig worker Bobby Dupea (Jack Nicholson) is on the run from life, afraid of being trapped in any one place. A former classical pianist from a wealthy and highly artistic family, he now lives in a trailer park with waitress Rayette Depesto (Karen Black) whom he stays with as much to avoid being alone as he does out of guilt for her suicide threats if he leaves her. When he learns from his sister Tina (Lois Smith) that their father has had a stroke, Bobby returns home, Rayette in tow, to attempt one last reconciliation with his father.
This is Nicholson’s tour de force all the way, and he is absolutely incredible, completely embodying the loneliness, anger, regret, self loathing, frustration, confusion, isolation, and alienation of his flawed character. Bobby is truly one of the most complex and explosive characters the screen has ever known. He lies and he cheats, he is selfish and honest, he is aggressive and charming, and he is a rebel and a coward in one. Aside from Nicholson, the performances are very strong with Karen Black a standout as Bobby’s waitress girlfriend who loves him too much, and who despite his many flaws pathetically tries too hard to hang on to him. The film has a very natural look that, along with Nicholson’s performance, gives the feeling of improvisation. The film’s famous scene is the chicken salad sandwich scene in which Nicholson cleverly devises a way of ordering his toast without breaking the diner’s “no substitutions.” However, there are several scenes and sequences that deserve to be just as well remembered. The use of several Tammy Wynette songs works very well for the film and is one of its many strengths. The film’s classic final scene is incredible in its poignancy and is bound to spark discussion with whomever you see it with.
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