Two-Lane Blacktop

United States, 1971

Drama

Synopsis

Drag racing east from L.A. in a souped-up ‘55 Chevy are the wayward Driver and Mechanic, accompanied by a tagalong Girl. Monte Hellman’s look at American male obsession is one of the artistic high points of 1970s cinema, and possibly the greatest road movie ever.

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Two-Lane Blacktop Directed by Monte Hellman

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Awards & Festivals

Locarno International Film Festival

1983

International Film Festival Rotterdam

1989

New York Film Critics Circle Awards

1971 | 2nd place: Best Supporting Actor

National Society of Film Critics Awards

1971 | 2nd place: Best Supporting Actor

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Cast & Crew

Articles from the Notebook

Seeing Clearly in the Dark: A Profile of Monte Hellman in Present Day Los Angeles

Catching up (and watching movies) with the cult director of “The Shooting” (1966), “Two-Lane Blacktop” (1971) and “Road to Nowhere” (2010).

A Few Queries for Monte Hellman

The cult director of “Two-Lane Blacktop” talks film theory, painting, politics, and, last but not least, actor Warren Oates.

Notebook Review. Entanglement Blues: Monte Hellman’s “Road to Nowhere”

Monte Hellman’s best films begin by pretending to tell a story. Take your pick: Ride in the Whirlwind, Two-Lane Blacktop,…

Critics reviews

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Everyone involved in this existential masterpiece steps up, but the revelation is Oates’s heartbreaking blend of bluster, threat, humility, zaniness, insecurity, and, improbably, latent decency—signature qualities of this great film actor, who at least until recently has been under-appreciated. It goes almost without saying that the race is never finished. The movie’s iconic fade-out is one of the coolest and most haunting in film.

Jonathan Stevenson

January 25, 2017

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There are times when Taylor shifts from laconic to almost chillingly engaged, somewhere on the line between confident and sociopathic. Maybe that’s the trick in casting a popular musician in a movie: There’s a presence to Taylor that’s more self-assured than an actor with insecurities, and more than once, I’ve heard him described as a “zombie,” or something synonymous for this performance. But those eyes of his are a road to oblivion in and of themselves.

Scott Tobias

May 28, 2015

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What makes a movie star is the inability to subordinate oneself to a character—the charismatic force of personality that renders the star more fascinating than any scripted role… Taylor and Wilson exert a negative charisma: their presence is both powerful and blank, deeply expressive in its neutrality. They offer one of the few original post-sixties reconfigurations of the movie star. Their manner is a perfect match for the story, and for the mythic, symbolic landscape in which it’s set.

Richard Brody

May 21, 2014

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What are people saying?

David Grillo's rating of the film Two-Lane Blacktop
David Grillo

Hellman films the idea of the road a timeless flat plane of existence an endless horizon a freedom that is separate from society and the settled civilization a freedom outside of the body and the mind the freedom of the wind the film is basically an endless race without a destination and ends with a retelling of Icarus where man is engulfed in a void of ultimate meaningless.
January 24, 2019 18:20
- 4
- 0
Dave's rating of the film Two-Lane Blacktop
Dave

A lonely, lonely movie telling a very lonely tale. I'm not quite sure how that I can even properly rate this one. Seems like it needs multiple viewings, but I do know that I liked it and was drawn into the story, even if it does move at a VERY languid pace.
January 24, 2019 17:04
- 3
- 1
Francisco R.'s rating of the film Two-Lane Blacktop
Francisco R.

Eliding notions of identity and direction in its characters, Hellman and the wonderful scriptwriting duo explore the road trip dynamics with such tact and insight we ultimately understand their intentions are far more ambitious than they seem, and their success lies in the simplicity and sheer elegance of their craft.
December 01, 2011 20:13
- 1
- 0
Ethan's rating of the film Two-Lane Blacktop
Ethan

The greatest road picture ever made. This is a beautiful film with some very intimate moments that feel like real life unfolding right before your eyes. Warren Oates especially shines as the unpredictable GTO.
April 18, 2016 23:39
- 0
- 0
T. J. Harman's rating of the film Two-Lane Blacktop
T. J. Harman

One of the best films of the golden 70s era that isn't always on all the lists it deserves to be on. This gets better every time I watch it.
May 28, 2011 22:33
- 0
- 0
Hunter Duesing's rating of the film Two-Lane Blacktop
Hunter Duesing

Whatever happened to Monte Hellman? From this to...TRAPPED ASHES? A SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT movie? Psh.
May 21, 2009 04:07
- 0
- 0
chanandre's rating of the film Two-Lane Blacktop
chanandre

Bresson on Wheels.
April 10, 2011 01:26
- 11
- 0
Zac Zellers's rating of the film Two-Lane Blacktop
Zac Zellers

this movie felt very real and genuine, unlike 'easy rider' which, to me, felt posturing and pretentious. this movie is mesmerizing because of how artlessly everything is pulled off. i feel very inspired by this one.
January 24, 2019 16:26
- 7
- 0