The USA went through a bad time in the early 70s. Some great films of that era capture the grim, pessimistic national mood: Easy Rider, Two-Lane Blacktop, Vanishing Point, Five Easy Pieces, The Last Picture Show. Electra Glide in Blue belongs on this list....but unfortunately, at the bottom.
Director Guercio lets four actors have their own long solo scene, in which each has a messy breakdown: they rant and rave, chew up the scenery, and become sweaty panting psychotics. It's waaaay over the top, and it's pretty wild.
The problem is, lead actor Robert Blake doesn't get one of those scenes. So his good-natured little conflicts don't seem very interesting, in comparison. He's pretty good at some moments, but overall the performance isn't very deep or memorable.
Director Guercio lets four actors have their own long solo scene, in which each has a messy breakdown: they rant and rave, chew up the scenery, and become sweaty panting psychotics. It's waaaay over the top, and it's pretty wild.
The problem is, lead actor Robert Blake doesn't get one of those scenes. So his good-natured little conflicts don't seem very interesting, in comparison. He's pretty good at some moments, but overall the performance isn't very deep or memorable.