This was my second experience watching a movie directed by Dennis Hopper and I must say I can compare it to the feeling I got while watching Easy Rider for the first time. Much like Easy Rider, Out of the Blue is an exercise on freedom, rebellion and the destruction of idols, with a rather bitter ending. There are substantial differences between the two though, especially regarding the directing; Easy Rider was ground-breaking technique for Hollywood in the 60's and exquisite filmmaking, while Out of the Blue at times gets lost in the way, but both are great just the same.
I simply loved the story, not only for personal reasons, but also because it's a rare thing to see a female protagonist depicted like this, in such a real and hypocrisy-free manner, Linda Manz definitely did a great job. A story of troubled teenage years (which aren't?), exploring the character's family relations and the desperate escape from reality, in which the rock'n'roll and punk rock idols play a capital role. We've all heard that story one too many times, but not very often through a girl's eyes and in such depth and rawness. Needless to say the soundtrack is equally great.
It's clear to see that Hopper wasn't sober throughout the movie, and perhaps that even enhances his performance and directing in this case, who knows. All I know is that one's choice to portray certain characters and stories say a lot about that one, the same it says about the viewers who appreciate it. Anyway, although I quite enjoyed the movie, I was a little disappointed at the ending, which was much too over-the-top and felt like a careless shot in the dark. I'm usually one for the ambiguous endings and trips inside the characters' subconscious minds, but only when it's coherent to the tone of the movie so far, and this was not the case. It was literally an "out of the blue and into the black" ending. Coming to think of it, maybe other ending would have seemed too soft, and I respect filmmakers that have the guts to go all the way, so there you have it.
I simply loved the story, not only for personal reasons, but also because it's a rare thing to see a female protagonist depicted like this, in such a real and hypocrisy-free manner, Linda Manz definitely did a great job. A story of troubled teenage years (which aren't?), exploring the character's family relations and the desperate escape from reality, in which the rock'n'roll and punk rock idols play a capital role. We've all heard that story one too many times, but not very often through a girl's eyes and in such depth and rawness. Needless to say the soundtrack is equally great.
It's clear to see that Hopper wasn't sober throughout the movie, and perhaps that even enhances his performance and directing in this case, who knows. All I know is that one's choice to portray certain characters and stories say a lot about that one, the same it says about the viewers who appreciate it. Anyway, although I quite enjoyed the movie, I was a little disappointed at the ending, which was much too over-the-top and felt like a careless shot in the dark. I'm usually one for the ambiguous endings and trips inside the characters' subconscious minds, but only when it's coherent to the tone of the movie so far, and this was not the case. It was literally an "out of the blue and into the black" ending. Coming to think of it, maybe other ending would have seemed too soft, and I respect filmmakers that have the guts to go all the way, so there you have it.