ON THE ROAD

France/Brazil, 2012, 140 minutes, Colour.
Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Kirsten Dunst, Amy Adams, Viggo Mortensen, Elisabeth Moss, Alice Braga, Steve Buscemi, Terrence Howard.
Directed by Walter Salles.

On the Road was writer Jack Kerouac’s autobiographical novel of his travels along the highways of America, the exuberance of discovery of the wide range of American lifestyles as well as his seeking for greater freedom and freedoms. It was the novel of what was called The Beat Generation, a reflection of life between 1947 and 1951 which was to influence young Americans, especially, over the next decade. A number of film-makers have wanted to transfer it to the screen but failed. Now, using a screenplay by Jorge Rivera, Brazilian director, Walter Salles (best known for his Central Station and The Motorcycle Diaries) has filmed it.

British Sam Riley is Sal Paradise, the Kerouac character, with writing ambitions who is introduced to a literary group which includes Carlo (the novel’s equivalent of poet Allen Ginsburg) who then introduce him to the confident and charismatic Dean Moriarty (the equivalent of Neal Cassady). Sal and Dean immediately click. Sal is in admiration of Dean’s energy and freedom despite his car-stealing life and prison, Dean admiring the more dependable and creative Sal. There is also Dean’s young ex-wife, Marylou (Kristen Stewart) and his new wife and baby, Camille (Kirsten Dunst).

Sal has already been on the road after his father’s funeral and travelled across the states, joining in casual work including cotton-picking in California. Sal then travels with Dean and Marylou, sharing their escapades, from sex and drugs and shoplifting to encounters like that with Old Bull Lee (Viggo Mortensen) and his wife Jane (Amy Adams) and their alternate lifestyle in Louisiana.

All the time, Sal is taking notes, writing.

On another trip to Mexico, Sal becomes very sick and is finally abandoned there by Dean. Which means that Sal goes back to his more ordinary life in New York to write his book – yet still pondering on the influence of Dean. Dean has become inspiration – and, at one stage, is referred to as holy, almost sanctifying his freedoms quest.

Audiences who have read Kerouac and been moved and inspired by his work will have a judgment on whether the film dramatises the book well or adequately, capturing the depths of its themes. Audiences who have not read the book or who do not know the Beat Generation may be fascinated by this road movie of rebellion against the status quo. Other audiences may wonder about what freedoms the film is really exploring and expounding. Is it transcending one’s limitations, developing oneself – and in relationships with others? Or is it, as seems so often during the film as we see, over and over, sexual promiscuity, indulgence in drugs, personal betrayals and refusal to take responsibility for behaviour (which is what Old Bull Lee seems to be saying about Dean), freedom merely as the capacity for moving beyond any felt restraints just for oneself. (And that leads to the temptation of thinking that a lot of what we are seeing is just the Emperor’s New Clothes.)

At well over two hours, with a lot of repetition, and despite Garrett Hedlund’s arresting performance, what are we left with?
(Audiences interested in these characters should see Heart Beat with Nick Nolte as Neal Cassady and Sissy Spacek as his wife; John Heard is Kerouac and Ray Sharkey is called Ira but is based on Allen Ginsberg. There is also the 2011 film about Ginsberg’s poem, Howl, with James Franco. Ginsberg is to be portrayed by Daniel Radcliffe in the forthcoming, Kill Your Darlings, with Jack Huston as Jack Kerouac.)

1. Jack Kerouac’s novel? Its place in American literature? In culture? Its recreation of the late 1940s? The influence on American readers? International? The beat generation and its ethos? Later?

2. The nature of the adaptation, Sal’s narration, scenes of Sal writing, his notes, typing, the end and his completion of the book? The voice-over – and his final comments on Dean Moriarty?

3. The correspondence of the film’s characters to the real-life characters: Dean Moriarty and Neal Cassidy, Carlo and Allen Ginsberg, Sal and Jack Kerouac? The references, the quotes?

4. Road movies, this film as a literal road movie, the opening, the walking and the feet, the American highways? City and country? The variety of states, the variety of towns? Trucks and workers, seasonal workers, cotton pickers, the hitchhikers? The seasons? Speeding along the highways, the police? Stealing from shops? Hustling?

5. The musical score, the range of songs and music from the era?

6. 1947-51? The United States, post-war society, families, break-up, rebellion? The desire for freedom, the nature of the freedoms? Sexuality, drugs? The Truman era and quotes? The economy? The movies of the period, the songs? The various strands of society?

7. Sal as Jack Kerouac? The Hispanic background? New York City, on the road, his father’s death and funeral, the bond with his mother, the home sequences, the family, the visit to North Carolina? The cotton pickers and his relationship with Terry? His return (**YOU SAID RETURNS.. PLURAL?) to New York, the end, his place in society and his going to the concert, rejecting Dean on the sidewalk?

8. Sal and his meeting with the group, their enthusiasm, Carlo, his talk and poetry? Melodramatic and romantic? Literature? Dean and his reputation? The visit, his coming nude to the door, his being with Camille? This setting the tone for the relationships?

9. The portrait of Dean, Garrett Hedlund and his screen presence, his age, the story of his father and his search for him, imagining glimpsing him amongst the hobos, the later search and the barber’s not able to tell him anything about his father? Stealing cars and seeing him in action? Jail? His drinking? Library and reading, especially Proust? His energy, charismatic presence? His freedoms, his drug dependence, drinking, Carlo and his love? Marylou, her age, the relationship, sexuality? The divorce? Travelling together, the friendship with Sal, admiring him? The different trips, his driving, speed and the police? His being driven? The encounter with Rita, the sex scene? With other women? Camille, the baby, her return to San Francisco? Ed, Galatea, Ed abandoning her, the trip, the group arriving in the freezing car in North Carolina, the food? Dean and his offer to drive Sal’s mother back to New York, her paying the fine? The decision to go to California, the visit to Old Bull and to Jane? Listening to Old Bull’s advice and experience? San Francisco, going out with Sal, Camille ousting Dean from the house, her watching him from the window? His having the photo of the baby? Driving to New York, the sharing of the expenses in the car, the homosexual man and his proposition, the twenty dollars? Sal and his negative reaction? Sal and the decision to go to Mexico, Dean and his saying he spoke Spanish? The young boy and the drugs, the drug-induced experiences? Sal and his illness but Dean leaving him? Dean’s final appearance on the sidewalk, Sal letting him go?

10. Dean presented as hero? Even holy? His motivation? His effect on Carlo? The effect on Sal? Yet Old Bull Lee and his critique of his selfishness, hedonism? Dean and his principles – or not? Self-centred? At the end? Kerouac idealising him?

11. Carlo, his place in the group, love for Dean, his friendship with Sal, his poetry? The threesome and his difficulties? Going to Africa? The passing of the years, sending his poems to Sal and the dedication?

12. Marylou, from Denver, her age, teaming up with Dean, her motives? Travelling, sexual partner, the divorce, yet continuing to travel? At North Carolina, with the police and her explaining that she was Dean’s wife? The nude drive in the car? The encounter with Sal? Her desires to settle down, have a family? Her final note and leaving?

13. Camille, her status in society, relationship with Dean, the pregnancy, the baby, her self-sacrifice, San Francisco, her ousting Sal and Dean?

14. Sal’s family, his mother, sturdy, love for her son, support? The North Carolina visit to the family? The drive back to New York? Back with his mother at the end and receiving Carlo’s poems?

15. Jane and Old Bull, New Orleans, Old Bull and his life, work, philosophy, drugs? His telling the truth? Jane, Galatea, the discussions about sexual behaviour?

16. The music at the opening of the film, the club, Terrence Howard as the musician, his taking them home to his wife?

17. The homosexual traveller, his encounter with Dean, the proposition, the money? The contrast with Carlo, the intensity of his passion, his explanations of his attachment, the need for emotional connection, support?

18. The cotton pickers, Terry, her baby, Sal and his relationship with her?

19. Sal and Dean on the town in San Francisco, Sam Gaylard and the music, their joining in, the exuberance?

20. The nature of freedom – how well did the film communicate Kerouac’s vision of freedoms? Or did it merely use the conventional desire for freedom as no restrictions?

21. Sal as a person, as Jack Kerouac, the America of his time, his experiences, and his writing?