Boy and Bicycle

Not a great short for anyone who didn't have the bits of childhood that Ridley sees in this piece initially, unless you love that gritty film feel.

Lots of little iconic items that used to be in mine and everyones houses. Lovely junk, treale tins, jam jars and old junk. What makes it good for me is I loved starting looking at film this way and also being able to understand how he brought this grittiness to Alien which complete transformed the far end of Cinema.

If you've had a go at using light 8mm or 16mm cameras in your life, you'll get excited about this.

G.

I saw this short film on the dvd for Ridley Scott's film, The Duellists. There was no introduction by Scott before the film, it just started right up.

Boy and a Bicycle is hardly an example of Ridley Scott's other work, it bears no resemblance. The film shows a boy, played by Tony Scott, riding around on a bicycle. Guess what? That's pretty all that happens. The boy rides around, rambling on and on with pointless, confusing dialogue. The film was shot in black and white, and since it was directed by Ridley Scott, I expected some cool cinematography or visually-striking sets. Instead, I was treated with nothing. This film isn't even good for a first effort. However, I recommend that any fan of Ridley Scott should check it out at least once.

Soundtrack, narration, cinematography and editing all create a beautiful cinematic poem of the very simple. The very simple which also are the deepest sights and sounds that make our everyday life. The introspective nature of the journey gives us the chance to look through the eyes of somebody else. The sensitivity and artistry of the film turn it into a memorable experience of your own not to be forgotten.

A joy to get closer to the raw craft of a young Ridley. Perhaps the entire soundtrack (all of its tracks) is most extraordinary. A must see.

Found as an extra on Ridley's fantastic feature debut, THE DUELLISTS, this short film is actually Ridley Scott's first completed work. Originally done during schooling, the student nature of the film is quite evident. Yet despite this, it is representative of Ridley's unconventional visual style, and his excellent eye for composition. This underrated director gives us stark visuals in black and white and using only natural light, making the film all that much more special. The narrative is somewhat obtuse, a peek into a young boy's thoughts as he rides around a small English town playing hooky. Definitely art house material, and thus not for everybody, but a must see for anyone with an interest in direction, cinematography or a die hard Ridley Scott fan. Almost as essential as THE DUELLISTS itself.

These days, Ridley Scott is one of the top directors and producers and can command huge sums to helm movies--especially since he has films like ALIEN, GLADIATOR and BLADE RUNNER to his credit. So from this partial list of his credits, it's obvious he's an amazing talent. However, if you watch this very early effort that he made while in film school, you'd probably have a hard time telling that he was destined for greatness. That's because although it has some nice camera-work and style, the film is hopelessly dull and uninvolving. However, considering that it wasn't meant for general release and it was only a training ground, then I am disposed to looking at it charitably--hence the score of 4.

By the way, this film is part of the CINEMA 16: European Shorts DVD. On this DVD are 16 shorts. Most aren't great, though because it contains THE MAN WITHOUT A HEAD, COPY SHOP, RABBIT and WASP, it's an amazing DVD for lovers of short films and well worth buying.