Radio On

1979 movie

Rating: 15/20

Plot: I'll include a plot synopsis below.

A guy drives from London to Bristol to investigate the death of his brother. Along the way, he listens to David Bowie, Devo, Robert Fripp, and Kraftwerk. That's about it for the plot, but don't think the death of the brother is a major plot point or anything. It's more like a lazy McGuffin in a somnambulant movie. It's a road trip that might remind you of Jarmusch or Wenders, and I don't think that's just the black and white talking. It really does feel like a British attempt at a Wenders road movie, maybe more so because Wenders' assistant cameraman (Max Schafer with two little dots above the "a" in his surname) shot this. It's a great-looking movie, one shot that shows a pair of people from outside the apartment really knocking me out. A lot of the shots of landscape shown from a perspective within the protagonist's car were really great.

Along the way, this guy meets various characters--a guy who's either Scottish or Irish and Sting and a couple of German girls. Oh, and one guy who is sleeping in his car that might be my favorite scene in the movie. He doesn't connect well with them, language sometimes being a barrier (another Jarmuscian touch). He drifts somewhat aimlessly, alienated from an England at the end of the decade that he doesn't seem to fit into very well. The meandering plot, especially with first-time director Christopher Petit's insistence on showcasing the minutia, doesn't do the audience any favors. It's a fascinating kind of boring and difficult to latch onto anything in the narrative. In a way, it makes you feel a little like the protagonist must feel.

The music hit my sweet spot. A little Bowie, a little Kraftwerk, a little Devo even if it's not my favorite Devo track, and even Sting's rendition of that Eddie Cochran song. The main character is a disc jockey, but it really seems like the music is playing him. If that makes sense. I don't think that makes sense.

This unusual film isn't for everybody, but I kind of dug it. If you have tastes nearly identical to mine, you should check it out.