If you believe that biker gangs are merely a front for vandals, thieves and drug dealers, then you are missing out on the dimension of bonding depicted in “Biker Gangs.”
Based on Danny Lyons' photographs of gangsters in the Midwest, the film depicts how the Vandals (weird, right?) became family to people who might not have had one at all.
They spend lots of time together, protect each other's girlfriends, and are never far apart when rival gangs come to visit.
It's an interesting look at a world that was popular on screen in the '60s and became a TV staple with “Sons of Anarchy.”
Austin Butler appears in a scene from “The Bikeriders,” a film about a motorcycle club in the 1960s Midwest.
Focus function via AP
But there's another side to this film, mainly because Jodie Comer plays a compelling narrator. She plays Cathy, the girlfriend of a biker gang, and is happy to talk about gang members, relationships and shortcomings. In her interviews with the cameraman, she opens up and isn't afraid to call out the bad guys who get in her way.
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The corner looms large, even when it’s quiet and you’re seated at the back of the room.
The photographer (played by Mike Feist) absorbs it all but doesn't necessarily provide a narrative framework.
Director Jeff Nichols could have used more context — why the photographer was making this book, what he hoped to accomplish, why it took nearly a decade to complete — details that might have explained why he was given such access.
Provided
Still, he has Comer, so that's good enough.
Soon we're thrown into the bars and back alleys ruled by the Vandals, who are threatened by rival groups but only managed to avoid being defeated thanks to the leadership of Johnny (Tom Hardy) and Benny (Austin Butler).
At the party, Nichols humanizes them and makes their stories understandable—it's not exactly Sands, but it's a passionate portrayal of bonding at a time when it seems impossible.
Drawing on Lyons' book, “The Bikers” is as close to a documentary as a fictional film can get, with Hardy and Butler adding a dash of Brando and Fonda's swagger to show how cozy and terrifying biker gangs can be.
While Butler frequently displays anger (in keeping with his “Elvis” take on the '60s), Hardy unleashes his acting arsenal.
His performance is raw and accomplished and helps explain a lot.
Young bikers begin to split with their elders over drugs and lose respect for their leaders. The Vietnam War also becomes an issue.
As the endless party threatens to spin out of control, the leaders back off, as does Butler, leaving the Vandals shaken, but giving Comer ample opportunity to comment.
When the dust settles (yes, this is set in tumultuous times), it's interesting how much is built around the desire to belong.
Watch a Movie in One Minute with Film Critic Bruce Miller
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Bruce Miller is editor of the Sioux City Journal.
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