Jeff Nichols had dreamt of making a film about a 1960s motorcycle clubs for over 20 years.
The obsession started when he first cracked open Danny Lyon91裸聊视频檚 book 91裸聊视频淭he Bikeriders,91裸聊视频� a New Journalism-style account of the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club in the mid-1960s. He saw it as a story about rebels, romantics, frauds and the end of an era.
But he didn91裸聊视频檛 quite realize just how terrifying it would be to film the motorcycles in motion.
The bikes were vintage. The actors, including and Tom Hardy, would be riding at high speeds. And there would be no helmets. At some point, one of his stunt coordinators just came out with it: 91裸聊视频淭here is no way to make this 100% safe.91裸聊视频�
They went for it. The danger was kind of the point. And everyone made it out unscathed.
91裸聊视频淭he Bikeriders91裸聊视频� ( ) is a rare summer gem: An original film with stars (including Jodie Comer, Michael Shannon, and Mike Faist), cool cred, pathos and a clear-eyed wistfulness for a brief moment and a type of guy.
91裸聊视频淭his is a film that91裸聊视频檚 really about nostalgia,91裸聊视频� Nichols said. There is a sadness that comes with that. But there91裸聊视频檚 also a joy in remembering it.91裸聊视频�
Catching a star on the rise
Nichols has always had luck with casting, getting movie stars in his films right as they91裸聊视频檙e about to break big (like Jessica Chastain in 91裸聊视频淭ake Shelter91裸聊视频�).
For 91裸聊视频淭he Bikeriders,91裸聊视频� it was Butler. 91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� had yet to come out, but when he met him, he was certain: This is a movie star.
91裸聊视频淚 read a lot of scripts and this one just felt different,91裸聊视频� Butler said. 91裸聊视频淚t felt full of humanity and these cinematic moments91裸聊视频 felt like I was being invited into this other world. And he was one of the coolest characters I91裸聊视频檝e ever read.91裸聊视频�
Butler91裸聊视频檚 Benny is also the most enigmatic of the bunch: A guy whose face is never shown in Lyon91裸聊视频檚 book and who is never interviewed 91裸聊视频� just talked about.
91裸聊视频淚 love how Jeff talks about him as being this empty cup that everybody wants to fill with their own expectations and their own responsibilities. He doesn91裸聊视频檛 want any of that,91裸聊视频� Butler said. 91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 when he wants to cut loose and be free.91裸聊视频�
Nichols wanted Benny to be bottled up until the end and remembered telling his star to 91裸聊视频減ull it back91裸聊视频� a few times.
91裸聊视频淟ike, stop smiling,91裸聊视频� Nichols laughed. 91裸聊视频淲hen that kid smiles the whole world smiles.91裸聊视频�
But he soon realized that was missing the point of casting someone like Butler 91裸聊视频� an emotive actor with a big heart.
91裸聊视频淭hat character got better because of him,91裸聊视频� Nichols said.
A different point of view
One of Nichols91裸聊视频� biggest breakthroughs was when he realized the narrator should be Kathy, who falls for Benny at first sight and gets wrapped up in the club.
91裸聊视频淪he just pops off the page,91裸聊视频� Nichols said. 91裸聊视频淪he91裸聊视频檚 witty, she91裸聊视频檚 introspective, she91裸聊视频檚 self-deprecating, she91裸聊视频檚 infuriating at times. She is a real person.91裸聊视频�
Comer saw in her a fascinating character, an 91裸聊视频渙rdinary91裸聊视频� but still extraordinary person that reminded her of women she knew growing up in Liverpool. She worked tirelessly to nail Kathy91裸聊视频檚 very specific working-class Chicago accent.
But on another level, she was just a better voice for what he wanted to say.
91裸聊视频淭he ultimate truth, and a subtext of the film, is that men are really bad at sharing their emotions,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淥bserving this group in the hands of a male narrator I think would be really boring.91裸聊视频�
Fact, fiction and telling a good story
91裸聊视频淭he Bikeriders91裸聊视频� is a work of fiction. Nichols didn91裸聊视频檛 want to be the historian of the Outlaws, a group which still exists. He mostly wanted to capture this time and culture and evoke the feeling he got when he opened that book so many years ago.
But he also draws heavily on Lyon91裸聊视频檚 images, some of which are recreated, and reporting. Much of Kathy91裸聊视频檚 dialogue are things the real Kathy, who was married to Benny, said. Hardy91裸聊视频檚 character Johnny was also apparently inspired by the Marlon Brando film 91裸聊视频淭he Wild One91裸聊视频� to start the club. He was the leader and also a bit of a fraud 91裸聊视频� a suburban dad with a real job on the side.
Nichols chose to make the film in color, instead of mimicking Lyon91裸聊视频檚 famous use of black-and-white photography.
91裸聊视频淭hey91裸聊视频檙e beautiful, but they are romanticized,91裸聊视频� Nichols said. 91裸聊视频淚 think when you put them in color, they become less affected. They become more realistic.91裸聊视频�
The joys and pains of riding those bikes
Like Butler, Hardy came into the film with some motorcycle know-how. But neither would describe it as a leg up 91裸聊视频� antique bikes are a different beast.
91裸聊视频淚t just happens to be a convenience because I can ride as opposed to lying about skiing,91裸聊视频� Hardy said.
Still, once they got it down it could be rather exciting.
91裸聊视频淚t was exhilarating riding in a giant group,91裸聊视频� Butler said. 91裸聊视频淵ou feel the energy of every motorcycle coming together.91裸聊视频�
Comer said riding on the back of Benny91裸聊视频檚 bike, in the Cincinnati night with engines roaring and street lights twinkling, was 91裸聊视频渁 really magical kind of movie moment.91裸聊视频�
And the danger was ever-present. But it also resulted in some real movie magic, like the near-impossible recreation of one of Lyon91裸聊视频檚 most famous photographs with a single rider speeding across the Ohio Bridge.
In the film, Butler is the rider. They had shut down a bridge. They couldn91裸聊视频檛 do it more than twice (both logistically and because they couldn91裸聊视频檛 risk anything with their star). They had a 35mm film camera mounted on a car with a moving crane, attempting to speed alongside Butler.
91裸聊视频淎ll of a sudden we lock in the cameras in the right spot, the bridge is in the right spot, Austin looks back, then he drives off,91裸聊视频� Nichols said. 91裸聊视频淎nd you91裸聊视频檙e like holy (expletive): 91裸聊视频榃e got it.91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频�
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