Silence and bully The introduction of the film is characterized by the narrative style of one of his characters tells the general impression of 1969, the numbers of which are called the tape. This time is considered a time of change. After the shocking murders of world-famous politicians who have not yet been revealed with a sense, meaning, arrangement, politics will enter the life of all Americans as something inherent. But the main characters of "1969" almost do not think about it, while in the spirit of his life showed the hippie movement sweet smell of freedom vibrating and dope the heads of young people. They did not clutch at the idea of the victory of democracy, but did not contradict it, they did not offer drugs to anyone, but they did not lag behind the youth serpent themselves, they did not want to delve into the essence of the Vietnam War, but there was no desire to go and fight for the ideals of society, which politicians boast from TV screens. So conceived two friends, the two main characters to bypass the senseless slaughter on a miserable patch of the globe, where two superpowers collided, and the total death toll will exceed two million.
The spirit of freedom, the spirit of contradiction, the spirit of youthful maximalism reigns in the thoughts and behavior of Ralph and Scott – this is the name of our main characters, and will play them Robert Downey Jr. and Kiefer Sutherland, respectively. As long as two guys with all their might will look for a way out of the current situation, as long as they grow up, meeting in their lives the first difficulties and the first true sympathy, the world will still change. Against the background of their film creator Ernest Thompson (the owner of the Oscar in 1981 for the best adapted script of his own play On Golden Pond) will show a small episode from that life. Seeing all this will be the eyes of two young friends, but as an acquaintance with how people lived behind the Iron Curtain, it can be extremely curious. Through the behavior of two dissimilar friends, one can see bitter satire on the general way of life of that society and clearly traceable notes of protest at what they tried to hammer into young riotous heads as idealized norms of existence. Ernest Thompson laughed and, apparently, remembered himself in his youth, when he wrote the script for the film “1969”.
Another interesting detail of the tape is its frank naturalness. Not a theatrical performance, but a staging as a tribute to nostalgia for years of feeling liberated from the whimsical nature of stagnant society. In this case, the best side of the picture showed the operator Jules Brenner. Light tones prevail in the picture, the feeling of summer, the arrival of a cheerful mood, forays from hibernation - all this is subconsciously felt in the soul, and the look is pleased with the joyful coloring of the picture. So again you feel the general carelessness of youth with sparks from the eyes and fire from... well, you know where the fire comes from at a young age. Well-chosen and costumes with hairstyles. This is especially true for the heroine Winona Ryder, who was phenomenally accurately selected and how the living ideal of those times fit into the film. I would even say that her character is worthy of the brush of an artist painting a poster of a cloudless life in the most democratic country in the world. And for all the melodramatic taste of satire "1969" penetrating detail is the emerging striped flag with stars.
Of course, the actors of this film deserve special mention. Robert Downey Jr. was 23 at the time of filming, and Kiefer Sutherland was 22. Young actors received the unspoken status of original nuggets of the new wave of performing film art. Reckless, unlike restrained frantics, completely unsuitable to the image of snobs, slobbers with a flame inside. This is how they performed their roles in the film “1969”. Two different characters, however, in aggregate personified the collective images of the then youth. Silence and bullying are their characters. Who got to see yourself, this will be another interesting detail of the picture. And climbing ropes in one underwear Robert Downey Jr., I am sure, and will laugh and leave an unforgettable memory. Winona Ryder in 1988 (when this film was released) will be only 18 years old, but this year will be the first step to her well-deserved fame. She will star in the horror comedy “Beatlejuice”, then in the crime drama “Deathly Attraction”, and now the social melodrama “1969” and everywhere she will have completely different images, and her heroine from “1969”, as I said, will be worthy of advertising posters, so naturally she will look.
I had to work hard to find 1969, but after watching it, I realized that this effort was not in vain. Competent, and, most importantly, an honest film with the bright play of the then young Downey Jr. and Sutherland and their inspired play will give the picture some rebellious outlines, and which of us in 20 was not a rebel? The film is in vain is unnoticed among the audience, it is worth paying attention.
7 out of 10