L'été sans fin

The sport of surfing has changed much over the years and this insightful documentary gives us a snapshot of the sport in the 60's. What is most impressive about the movie is the excellent narrative and photography. I recently have received the movie poster from allposters.com and I recommend this to anyone who is a Bruce Brown or surfing enthusiast.

Despite the fact that this film is over thirty years old it's just as good as when it first came out in 66. No plot, No stars. Two guys who take off to surf the world (or at least as much of it as they can)in search of the perfect wave and are photographed as they do it. Good narration and great surfing footage along with the right amount of humor thrown in makes it an endless classic without really being a documentary.

Outstanding documentary about two young surfers who travel the world looking for a good wave. Bruce Brown's cinematography is breath-taking, and the ongoing narration (also by Bruce) is inspired and truly funny. One of those rare movies that you wish would never end. Followed by the equally-good Endless Summer II 30 years or so later, which must be close to a record for sequels.

Forget the Hollywood teen scene movies from the 60's with Frankie and Annette. That was teen exploitation (and the teens knew it and didn't watch them, either). This movie is completely different.

"Endless Summer" is not exactly a drama, but not exactly a documentary either. You follow two young surfers as they travel the globe looking for the elusive "Endless Summer" of year-round surfing. The narration is hilarious and the surf action will make even the novice landlubber want to grab a raft and skip across the backyard pool.

No bikini-clad girls trying to understand boys. No swim-trunk clad boys trying to understand girls. No meddling chaperones and hilarious hi-jinks. No musical guest stars. What you get is one of the best films about surfing and Life. Period.

Surfers will own it already, but for those who haven't seen it - see it.

Back before Sean Penn gave us his hilarious interpretation of a surfer as a drugged-out loser with a limited vocabulary in "Fast Times At Ridgemont High", the common image of a surfer was that of a clean-cut guy who surfed just like other people sailed or fished. They were normal people. This film was made during that time, when surfing was a sport and surfers were athletes. And its that charm that makes this film special.

Bruce Brown had made 4 feature-length films prior to making this one, but this film's incredible success made him a cult hero, a Cinderella story who came out of nowhere to give us a film that could quite possibly be the best surfing documentary ever made. His premise was simple: take 2 surfers and try to achieve what everyone dreams of: an endless Summer of sun, surf, and girls (but mostly surf).

Brown's narration, with its soft California tone, really gives the film that comfortable, easy feeling, like watching an old Walt Disney film from the early 60's, which contributes to the film's charm. We know, we just know, that these two guys are going to go out on an adventure and nobody will die, nobody will get arrested, and nobody will do anything immoral (or at least _too_ immoral).

From the west coast of Africa, to South Africa, to Australia, to islands in the Pacific, to Hawaii, we go along as two young men from California introduce the sport of surfing to people who have never seen a surfboard before. It is quite hilarious to see villagers in Ghana and Senegal try to surf a longboard in heavy surf for the first time, and Bruce's narration really tells a funny story, and all along we're relaxing to the gentle guitar sounds of The Sandals.

We also get to see some of the best surfers riding some great waves in the age before the beaches got crowded with jet skis, racing boats, and more surfers. "Endless Summer" is one of those films that acts like a time capsule, and is just as entertaining now as it was when it first came out.

I highly recommend it for everyone. Adults, kids, surfers, non-surfers. There's something for everyone in this film. You don't need to know how to surf to enjoy this movie.