Five Easy Pieces

Karen Black is great in this film and well-deserving of The Best Supporting Actress Oscar. She steals the film from her moody and brooding co-star, Jack Nicholson. Put it this way: subtract Black from the film and you don't have a film worth watching. The story would have been better if the film had told us why Nicholson rejected his family and his musical gifts. Why does he hate everyone that loves him? He doesn't love himself. Why? Why should we sympathize with this man? He has a great girlfriend, a rich family that cares for him, and tremendous natural gifts to play the piano. The last scene in the movie is one of the most pathetic scenes ever filmed. Someone needs to slap Jack and tell him to wake up!! Please!!!

After reading all of the reviews listed here on IMDB, it is incomprehensible to me that not one has grasped the point of the story. This is in spite of the title giving the whole thing away. Come on now guys... The movie is titled Five Easy Pieces because that's all the Jack Nicholson character could play. The pieces are classical, true, and great examples of classics. However, they are evidently not among the most difficult pieces.

I am astonished that several reviewers wondered why he would give up such a great chance to be a classical musician. Why did he reject his talented and maybe wealthy family to hob nob with those having little or no appreciation of classical music or the life style? (As more than one of the reviewers said.) He left his family home and tried to lose himself because he did simply not have the talent to pursue a career as a concert pianist. He clearly could play well, but this is not the same as having the talent to perform professionally. His sister, Partita, gives us the example of one who does meet those standards, as well as his brother, Carl Fidelio.

What does one do when he just can't do what is expected no matter how hard he tries? He moves from place to place and from person to person because nothing and no one can help him overcome his failure.

"Five Easy Pieces" is a very unusual film because the star (Jack Nicholson) plays an incredibly unlikable guy. Robert badly mistreats his girlfriend, Rayett (Karen Black), and cheats on her. She IS often annoying and slow, but he chose to live with her and spends much of his time making fun of or ignoring her. He's easily bored and prone to self-defeating and selfish behaviors because he's emotionally stunted--unable to really love anyone.

This is also an unusual film because it doesn't have a traditional plot. Much of it spent just watching the man go through life. The main focus of the film, when it does occur, is Robert returning home to visit his family. The father is quite ill and it's obvious Robert does NOT want to visit and is only doing so out of obligation. But, guilted into this, he goes. There, you learn that the family is full of gifted musicians and intellectuals--and Robert is very ill-at-ease in this environment--and seeing these folks, it is understandable. They are about as unlike him as possible.

If a psychotherapist watched this film and wanted to form a diagnosis of the two main characters, they would probably see Robert as a relatively high functioning antisocial personality (meaning, his violations of laws and norms are usually NOT the sort to get him imprisoned) and Rayette as a Dependent Personality. Dependents NEED someone to love them--even if that person is abusive and distant. Like a whipped dog, they wait and hope to get an occasional bone tossed their way in the form of a kind word here or there. And, they are quite sad to see. Because these two were done so realistically, you have to admire the writing of this film.

Overall, a very well written film. In spots, it's VERY enjoyable (such as the famous diner scene) and in others, it's very painful. To carry it off, the actors (particularly Nicholson and Black) are at the top of their game. Also, the musical choices were wonderful. Playing all the low self-esteem Tammy Wynette songs (such as "Stand By Your Man") seem to be perfect to describe Rayette's life.

Previously known only for creating 'The Monkees', Bob Rafelson produced an underrated masterpiece when he made 'Five Easy Pieces', a film that deserves to be a lot better known. Jack Nicholson, typically intense but atypically understated, has possibly his finest hour as Bobby Duprea, a self-hating misogynist ill at ease with himself and the world. Many people will, when thinking of Nicholson, bring to mind his pantomime pyschopath Johnny from 'The Shining'; but Bobby, a profoundly human creation, is actually far more scary. Elsewhere the film features characteristically gorgeous cinematography from Laszlo Kovaks; a soundtrack that skilfully offsets Tammy Wynette and Chopin; excellent writing throughout and some very black humour. Like a less extreme version of Mike Leigh's 'Naked', and bristling with uncomfortable truth, 'Five Easy Pieces' is a true classic of 1970s cinema. Few films today are as good.

"Five Easy Pieces" was one of the most revered films of the 1970s. It was the film that showed audiences what Jack Nicholson could do, after having worked for many years in movies that were seen only by real cinephiles, but not by a wider audiences. Not having seen the film in a long time, we decided to watch it when it showed on cable recently. The only thing is the copy we saw was not anamorphic in format, which on key scenes almost shows a blank screen while the characters talk off camera!

Bob Rafelson and Carole Eastman created a screen play that dealt with existential themes, a rarity in the American cinema. Mr. Rafelson was at the height of his creative period, something that later projects seem to contradict the promise he showed at the time.

Bobby Dupea, the main character of the story, is a complex individual who has left a life of privilege and culture behind to become an oil rig worker and getting away from his previous life. At the time we meet him, he is involved with Rayette, a simple woman who loves him, but one can see how different they are. That contrast comes more obvious when Bobby goes back home and meets Catherine, his brother's fiancée, who is a musician and seem to be more attuned with Bobby than the simple minded Rayette.

"Five Easy Pieces" was a film that showcased the enormously talented Jack Nicholson doing some interesting work. The measure of his acting ability is seen about half way in the movie as Bobby, Rayette, and the two lesbian hitchhikers have stopped at a diner. Bobby's meal order request creates a match of words in which Mr. Nicholson shows what he is capable of doing.

The film concludes with a puzzling scene, as Bobby and Rayette are heading back home. We watch them stopping at a gas station and little prepares us for what happens next. In a way, we have seen all along the film how restless Bobby has become and it's clear that in spite of his being with Rayette, she will never understands how to make him happy at all.

The reason for watching "Five Easy Pieces" is Jack Nicholson. His character is the most interesting one in the film and he does an excellent job in creating the tension behind this complex man he portraits. Karen Black's Rayette is annoying at times because of her whining. Susan Anspach comes out better playing Catherine. Some other familiar faces in the cast are, Sally Struthers, Ralph White, Lois Smith, Billy Green Bush and Fannie Flagg.

"Five Easy Pieces" is one of the best films of that decade.