5 Movies for the almost indulgent Motorcyclist!
Every now and then, a simple thought that crosses the mind — Is Motorcycling really that big a deal , or I’m buying into the hyped up reality created by Big Motorcycle Corporations to make this stuff look rad? I turn to all forms of media to get my answer, the answer that I get is a resounding NO. Its because the depth and profundity with which people have covered the experience of Motorcycling , and that they could not have possibly done it without experiencing the exhilaration ,joy , serenity and all those cool emotions which I go through when I ride. Hence , this ‘trip’ is for real.
Today we look at one such form of Media and cover 5 docu-movies which have solid Motorcycling content and great to watch anyway.
So biker or not….get started .
Side Note: The list is not in any particular order.
1.) On any Sunday — Documentary: This one is a must for every enthusiast, for it does a good job at being any documentary , the fact that it handles the topic of ‘’Motorcyclists’ so brilliantly is the major reason you give it 98 minutes of your life. On Any Sunday was nominated for a 1972 Academy Award for Documentary Feature. This 1971 documentary follows the lives of motorcycle racers and racing enthusiasts. The director Bruce Brown shows the unique talents needed for the different forms of racing. For instance, the motocross riders were typically free-spirited types, while desert racers were often loners.
Watch it for : How motorcycling captivated its loyalists back then as it does now. Moral : Motorcycling is not a fad .
2.) DREAM RACER (The Movie) : For the first time in a feature length film, Dream Racer shows the legendary Dakar Rally in its purest form — no sponsors, no multi-million dollar team, not even a mechanic — just one rider, a motorbike, a film maker and the world’s most dangerous motor race. Far more than just a motorbike movie, Dream Racer is a call to arms for anyone who has ever dreamt of doing anything — a spine tingling antidote to the fear of life passing you by unfulfilled.
Watch it for : The message of defeating your own daemons conveyed through an narrative of the Underdog on a motorcycle.
3.) LONG LIVE THE KINGS : This one is a smooth blend of edginess and elegance . Clement Beauvais and Arthur de Kersauson scored a king hit with this oddball six-minute documentary. Released two years ago, it follows the lads from Blitz Motorcycles on a road trip through France.
Watch it for: Some beautifully captured footage on vintage bikes which makes the biker in you saddle up , Right here Right now.
4.) Easy Rider: This one can be credited to have spawned the Genre of “ Road Movies” . Easy Rider burst onto the scene in 1969, daring to speak to a new audience, a younger generation that had not yet found their voice in motion pictures. So bold and refreshing was Easy Rider that it was named “Best Film by a New Director” at that years Cannes Film Festival, where it also competed for the Palme d’Or.
Watch it for: Its very good cinema and it has motorcycles, Period.
5.) Why We Ride: This one is “ By the Rider, For the Rider , For the (potential ) Rider . ‘ Why We Ride’ is a loving ode to the motorcycle . Biker riders are sometimes labelled bunch of folks who think of Motorcycling as therapy where as it is just a temporary distraction of Quarter/Mid/Later Life crisis . ( others’ words not mine), this one is an answer to that label. In this is Docu- Drama director Carroll covers the gamut of revved-up, two-wheeled vehicles while visiting popular biking events and locales across the US Such as Daytona, Fla.; Sturgis, S.D.; Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats, the California deserts.Themes of comradeship, family bonding, free-spiritedness and charity prevail; there’s plenty of breathtaking motorcycle maneuvering on display as well.
Watch It For: How motorcycling beyond ‘ just guys living a wild fantasy ‘.
These are just 5 from the many that I have consumed (not just watched ) and keep going back to , simply.
There we have it. By no means is this list comprehensive or a final judgement on ‘ the best’ from the ones that have been made.
In-fact I have attached an IMDB expanded list in the end ..go take your pick . If you have any that you think should be on the next version of this list ….please let me know by commenting .
Keep Riding..Be Safe.
Akash Sachdev
CoFounder | Operations Head | Chief Rider @ Rebelrides.in
