Reflections on "Five Easy Pieces"
Directed by Bob Rafelson
Written by Carole Eastman (as Adrien Joyce)
Starring Jack Nicholson, Karen Black and Susan Anspach
I first
saw "Five Easy Pieces" on television in 1976, shortly after I had
seen "One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest". My expectations were high,
and I was not disappointed, though I found the film less "accessible"
and far more "haunting" than I had anticipated.
In some
ways the film seems very European in that it is more character driven than plot
driven, and the characters themselves are beautifully fleshed out and
"real". The plot is really just a device to allow us to get to know
and try to understand Bobby Dupea. We see his relationships, and follow him on
his path of apparent self-destruction as he runs from responsibility and
perhaps also from himself.
The
film has been rightly praised for its performances, its depiction of
genius/madness, and the "humanity" of the characters. I have,
however, found little on the "net" beyond discussion of these aspects
of the film, which I find disappointing and strange, as great films, like great
literature, contain "messages" for us all. They do not restrict
themselves to the recounting of a tale specific to the group of characters who
inhabit the story, but contain feelings, situations and reactions which may be
familiar to us all, and may offer something we recognise as true and which may
be relevant to ourselves.
It
seems to me that one of the principal areas of "discussion" in the
film is responsibility (in various shapes and forms), from which Bobby is
running away. At one point in his discussion with his wheelchair-bound father
toward the end of the film, Bobby says he moves on not because he is looking
for anything in particular, but because he is trying to get away from things
that start to go bad. This is, I think, one of the key statements in the film
and it is one which gives us a key to truly understanding Bobby’s behaviour.
In his
relationship with Rayette, Bobby constantly tries to distance himself from her
and is often quite uncomfortable with her. He knows that Rayette loves him to
the point of devotion, and she will tolerate his treatment of her. Bobby finds
this devotion hard to accept because this total love creates demands on him in
the form of responsibility for Rayette, who clearly wants to play a permanent
part in his life, and pressure to reciprocate her love. By being unpleasant
towards her, Bobby appears to be trying to force her into breaking off their
relationship. In a curious (and existential) way, Bobby’s insensitivity toward
Rayette is actually the result of great sensitivity. He knows how painful it
would be to her if he broke off their relationship, so he tries to engineer a
situation where she will make the first move. Once again, he is avoiding a
"bad" situation by simply ignoring it (and pursuing other sexual
adventures), or by taking steps to avoid responsibility for its end.
He is
also fleeing responsibility in the form of his musical talents, or rather
responsibility entailed in the development and displaying of these talents.
Perhaps he is afraid of disappointing others (he certainly hints at this when
talking to his father), or perhaps he is afraid of the constant pressure and
loss of independence involved in the concert circuit.
Perhaps
one further reason might also lie in another significant aspect of the film (as
I see it!) – class. Bobby has opted out of a comfortable "middle
class" existence to work as a labourer – why?
This
element, perhaps more than any other, allows us to see just how torn Bobby is.
By abandoning his middle-class family (whose aspirations are embodied by
elegant and classical music), and working with his hands (surrounded by
feel-good and emotionally indulgent Country and Western music), Bobby is
rejecting the rarefied (and vacuous?) existence he was destined for, and
chooses instead to lead a "real" life, which presumably he feels is
of greater value. Yet there are elements of his "working class" life
he finds hard to bear. He cannot stand some of the more mundane aspects of this
life – he wants more than Rayette (and possibly any other) can give him, yet he
rejects the social sphere that can offer him more because of its implied
intellectual (but vacuous) superiority. He is content in neither camp.
The
scene in which Bobby converses with his wheelchair-bound (and mute) father is
undoubtedly one of the most powerful and moving of the film. As Bobby says, if
his father were able to talk, they probably wouldn’t be talking. This
beautifully written scene does somewhat embody problems many of us have had in
talking to our parents. Bobby tries to explain himself to his father who is
incapable of giving a spoken response, thereby allowing Bobby the freedom to
express himself without getting involved in any dispute. Here Bobby shows
sensitivity and love, revealing an understanding of himself and his own
problems, but also an incapacity to change and deal with his situation.
Our
response to Bobby Dupea has varied from intrigue to sympathy, from contempt to
admiration (especially in the famous scene in the diner in which he deals quite
brilliantly with the "little man’s" blind application of society’s
rules), but in the end, when he finally runs away from responsibility for good,
we feel pity and hopelessness.
Bobby
Dupea may not be an admirable character, but he is above all human and not
easily forgettable. I can't say I found this an "easy" film, but it
is most intriguing and watchable, with marvelous and compelling dialogue by Carole
Eastman (as Adrien Joyce). It may at times be quite painful, but as an
examination of one man’s questioning of his own existence and character, it is
entirely compelling, and invites us to consider various aspects of our own
lives - especially if we are critical of the way Bobby conducted his life.
My thanks for taking the time to read this article. I
hope you found it of some value.
Stuart Fernie (stuartfernie@yahoo.co.uk)
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