Summary
Tom Hardy’s criticalThe Bikeridersscene, in which Johnny is set on the course to becoming a biker by watching Marlon Brando, came straight from the book that inspired the film. Danny Lyons’ 1968 photobook of the same name, a portrait of the lives of Chicago-area bikers, was the source for Jeff Nichols’ latest movie, starring Hardy as a family man who becomes the leader of a biker gang. A key moment in the film sees Hardy’sBikeriderscharacterwatching Brando’sThe Wild One, and finding his calling as a rebel of the open road.
Johnny finding inspiration in watching Brando’s iconic 1953 biker film was not a Nichols invention, it turns out, but was taken straight from Lyons’ original book, as Nichols explained in a recent interview withLittle White Lies. The writer/director recalls how pulling that scene from the book proved to be a challenge as he sought to translate it into “not just an instigating moment” for Hardy’s character, but also “a defining moment”, as it ties into a key element of the overall story. See what Nichols explained below:
We’ve all done that. That was taken actually from the book. There’s a photograph of the real Johnny, his kind of family scrapbook of the club. And one of the pages was a TV Guide with Marlon Brando on it. So that actually happened. I think it was kind of up to me to then turn that into not just an instigating moment for the character, but also a defining moment because… And I think Tom certainly embraced this with his voice and everything else, but he’s just playing the part. He’s just acting like Brando, and it catches up with him in very dangerous ways. He’s not really part of that world. He has a house and a family and daughters, and he knows deep down he’s not really the guy on the screen.
How Brando’s The Wild One Inspired Hardy’s Johnny – And Others
1953’sThe Wild Onestarredthe legendary Brandoas Johnny Strabler, a leather-clad rebel and leader of the troublemaking Black Rebels Motorcycle Club. Brando’s turn as the original outlaw biker, a casually rule-breaking, almost nihilistic character, was so powerful that the entire biker movie genre largely sprang from his performance generally, and specifically the iconic scene where, in answer to the question “What are you rebelling against?” he coolly replies, “What you got?”
10 Best Movies Like The Bikeriders
Since the 1950s, there have been some great motorcycle-themed, on-the-road films that pair perfectly with Austin Butler’s The Bikeriders.
The coolness of Brando was a major influence on the real-life person who inspired Hardy’s Johnny inThe Bikeriders, as evidenced by the scrapbook image referenced by Nichols. But Hardy himself was inspired by Brando, giving a performance that has its own echoes of Johnny Strabler and his era-defining look and attitude. Hardy is in good company, as Brando’sWild Oneperformance also inspired everyone from Elvis Presley, who copied aspects of Brando’s look, to David Lynch, who paid homage to Brando with Michael Cera’s hilariousTwin Peakscharacter Wally Brando.
The Bikeridersgrossed $16 million worldwide in its first eight days of release.
The Bikeridersindeed serves as a reminder of how powerful, and deeply influential, Brando’sWild Oneperformance was in the 1950s and subsequent decades. Hardy’s own performance serves as a tribute to Brando, one of his direct acting fore-bearers. Nichols makes no bones about where Hardy’s performance comes from, givingThe Bikeriders’Johnny direct inspiration from Brando, and through that, giving Hardy the opportunity to do his own Brando-esque turn.
The Bikeriders
Cast
The Bikeriders is a 2024 drama exploring the turbulent relationship between Kathy and Benny, a member of the Vandals motorcycle club. As the club delves into violence, Benny faces a critical choice between staying with Kathy and his allegiance to the club.
