Carbonville once was a nice place, now its a grim biker filled pool of scum. Johnny (Marlon Brando) and his biker boys want to cause nothing more than a load of trouble. The problem is that another gang of no good headed by Chino (Lee Marvin) turn up. They wanna fight like cats, however the local Sheriff dont want no problems. He arrest Chino and then has to see that Johnny has taken a shine to his daughter. He aint happy and sets about resolving one way or another this situation.
Banned in the UK for almost 20 years, this old boys acting as young boys is a soft affair nowadays. It plays out with less cool and more stool today. Brando plays as Johnny the cool as gang leader, who scared the British censor so much. He questions authority, punches people and is a horror of a human. He is also the reality of the teenager in the mid 50s. Cash rich, frustrated, adventurous and challenging. They were the generation that wanted more than their parents and wanted it now. The Wild One reflected that but without the hardness in reality or the films of Nicholas Ray crafted.
The lavish treatment by Indicator is not deserved of the film but as always they do their utmost. The BBFC doc is amazing, the commentary is well rounded and worth a visit. Basinger and Falcon are great at getting the film down to a single phrase. I found the events that inspired the film doc amazingly well researched and compelling. The Brando doc is ok but goes over well trodden ground. Kramer doc is more interesting. The real seller is Kat Ellinger who has a great voice, personality and makes the film feel more worthwhile than it is…
INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES:
• High Definition remaster
• Original mono audio
• Audio commentary by author and film historian Jeanine Basinger
• The Wild One and the BBFC (2017, tbc mins): ex-BBFC examiner Robert Falcon discusses the films’ history with the British censor.
• Introduction to the film by Karen Kramer (2007, 1 min)
• Hollister, California: Bikers. Booze and the Big Picture (2007, 28 mins) A look back at the real-life events that inspired the film.
• Brando: An Icon is Born (2007, 19 mins) A documentary exploring the life and career of the legendary actor.
• Stanley Kramer: A Man’s Search for Truth (2007, 17 mins): a look at Kramer’s vision.
• Original theatrical trailer
• Image gallery
• New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
• Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Kat Ellinger
• UK Blu-ray premiere
• Limited Dual Format Edition of 3,000 copies
