Amblin'

Y'all can expect a lot of Spielberg reviews for a while, because one of my modules, one of my last ever uni modules (christ time goes fast), is about him.

And this is the earliest thing we're watching by him. And sure, he was inexperienced here, and sure, the version of this you're most likely to see looks and sounds like absolute rubbish. But if we can ignore that...which I did manage to do, I really do think this showcases a hell of a lot of talent early on in his career.

Like, there are a lot of really memorable shots in this, the two lead performances are pretty great, and it's a really good example of how to tell a story with no dialogue. Admittedly, it is a pretty simple story, and it wouldn't win any screenplay awards, but I do think these two characters are surprisingly well defined for the limited time spent with them.

And the soundtrack is really good at setting the atmosphere, so if you don't mind looking at aged film prints that ended up making this look like a hippie fever dream, then check it out if you want to see the origins of one of the masters.

Too see Spielberg in his early years has always been a thrill for me. I'm always looking for a film that he made in the days before "Jaws" and such. This particular film is no exception. It's about two hitchhikers who become friends in the end as they hitchhike.

The scenery was great, the story was good, the acting (despite no dialog) was good. I really liked this movie. It's a shame that Spielberg calls it a "Long Pepsi Commericial," because I see it as something more. I see it as a film about being separated from everyone else and then finding a friend along the way and being able to open up to others.

Two hitchhikers cross paths and travel together.

The filmmaking craft on display is excellent, as the camera and editing tells the story perfectly. It has a great use of landscapes, body language, tracking shots, lighting, shadows, music, and some especially effective transitions. I love how everything you see tells you what you need to know about the characters.

As for the story, it is depends how interested you are in the characters for how much you are likely to take out of it. I liked the portrayal of the characters that builds up to a fairly good reveal, but other than for the technical aspects it is not something I would personally choose to rewatch. It works well if you like sixties nostalgia.

For aspiring filmmakers it is worth watching to see what can be achieved with minimal resources.

I think anyone who can finish a movie is a winner. It is one thing to sit around talking about making movies; it takes a lot to actually do it. Flicks killer (who ever he is) probably is an angry man who will never amount to anything in his life, but sits back and criticizes everything everyone else does, especially with an alias name. I've scene this flick and it was decent, very good job. No I don't worship the ground Steven walks on but I do identify and connect with his movies. That is why he is a winner. If Jaws failed or any of his other movies failed, he wouldn't be where he is. So for the "long Pepsi commercial" it still had good intentions. How is that for wanting Names, how about yours (FK)?

All masters achieve greatness at once and Spielberg illustrates it. His 1st professional work is a terrific short love story in the hippies world. It prefigures in a way his future Duel because it's also a silent movie (no dialogs) set in really sunny California! In spite of the minimalist plot (reaching the waves), Spielberg gives us a dynamic movie with great casting, cool soundtrack and amazing camera work. Even today, he still does the same things and he always reaches his audience because he is a true storyteller! So he's different from David Lynch, another favorite director of mine because Lynch prefers feelings over story and from Tim Burton who stays in fairy world. Spielberg knows how to tell different stories and is always in touch with the moment. So that's why Amblin is finally very moving because it's Spielberg in the 60s, the hippie generation, the rebellious and dreaming youth and for sure, movies like that can't be done today, even by Spielberg! A true gem to discover quickly!