Amblin'

A young hitchhiker carrying a guitar case (which he jealously guards) and a bedroll, heading to a beach in the coast, is accompanied in his journey by a beautiful and free spirited female traveler he meets on the road. A love story in the Hippie Era.

Interesting work from one of the most famous directors of this time (whether you like it or not). A very simple plot, followed by the constant camera of Spielberg, and a careful (though not totally) direction makes it for something that should be watched at least once.

The film has its visual merits: the cinematography is quite good and the viewer gets to see some great shots of the desert landscape the protagonists travel through. Some other takes, framings and the use of close-ups are neat, while some others need a few improvements. There's some effective use of tracking shots. The editing is also well managed. The weird part is the use of a couple of jump cuts and freeze frames that give a feeling of being watching some 60's hippie sitcom credits (sorry, I'm not a big fan of these techniques in films). The soundtrack by Michael Lloyd goes well with the scenes.

For a movie without dialogue, where expressions are important, both Richard Levin and Pamela McMyler put a great effort in their respective acting, where they "say" a lot without speaking a single word. Their roles are not so memorable or special, but they give their best without disappointing.

Symbolism is also present. And it is important to understand some of the context in which this was filmed: the late 60's, where hippie movement and free love were often found here and there. The personality of the girl (who represents the free spirit and slovenliness of hippies) has an impact on the boy (who represents something more reserved and quiet), who during his journey to the beach (who could be also seen as a personal journey to an ideal of the society he lives in), he "learns" from her, but at the same time she appears to project some thoughts and ideals of him. This is the strongest point of Amblin': their interaction and how it affects to each other.

It's not a perfect film (it gets very amateurish at some points), but it has some interesting messages and great production values. Recommended for those who want to discover the beginnings of one of the most prolific directors in Hollywood.

If you've heard the name Amblin, you may recognize it as Steven Spielberg's production company. As it turns out, the name comes from a surreal short that the director made in the late '60s. "Amblin'" focuses on a young man and young woman wordlessly roaming through the California desert. The movie looks like a product of the '60s, complete with a theme song that sounds a bit like Simon and Garfunkle's "Scarborough Fair". One might interpret the end of the movie as a representation of the lost dreams of the '60s.

In relation to most of Spielberg's work, "Amblin'" looks like a standalone movie. There's none of the themes that pervaded his later movies. Of course, he was just getting started, so it doesn't lessen the movie. I thought that it was a good movie. Definitely something that could function as an inspiration to aspiring directors.

Y'all can expect a lot of Spielberg reviews for a while, because one of my modules, one of my last ever uni modules (christ time goes fast), is about him.

And this is the earliest thing we're watching by him. And sure, he was inexperienced here, and sure, the version of this you're most likely to see looks and sounds like absolute rubbish. But if we can ignore that...which I did manage to do, I really do think this showcases a hell of a lot of talent early on in his career.

Like, there are a lot of really memorable shots in this, the two lead performances are pretty great, and it's a really good example of how to tell a story with no dialogue. Admittedly, it is a pretty simple story, and it wouldn't win any screenplay awards, but I do think these two characters are surprisingly well defined for the limited time spent with them.

And the soundtrack is really good at setting the atmosphere, so if you don't mind looking at aged film prints that ended up making this look like a hippie fever dream, then check it out if you want to see the origins of one of the masters.

All masters achieve greatness at once and Spielberg illustrates it. His 1st professional work is a terrific short love story in the hippies world. It prefigures in a way his future Duel because it's also a silent movie (no dialogs) set in really sunny California! In spite of the minimalist plot (reaching the waves), Spielberg gives us a dynamic movie with great casting, cool soundtrack and amazing camera work. Even today, he still does the same things and he always reaches his audience because he is a true storyteller! So he's different from David Lynch, another favorite director of mine because Lynch prefers feelings over story and from Tim Burton who stays in fairy world. Spielberg knows how to tell different stories and is always in touch with the moment. So that's why Amblin is finally very moving because it's Spielberg in the 60s, the hippie generation, the rebellious and dreaming youth and for sure, movies like that can't be done today, even by Spielberg! A true gem to discover quickly!

I think anyone who can finish a movie is a winner. It is one thing to sit around talking about making movies; it takes a lot to actually do it. Flicks killer (who ever he is) probably is an angry man who will never amount to anything in his life, but sits back and criticizes everything everyone else does, especially with an alias name. I've scene this flick and it was decent, very good job. No I don't worship the ground Steven walks on but I do identify and connect with his movies. That is why he is a winner. If Jaws failed or any of his other movies failed, he wouldn't be where he is. So for the "long Pepsi commercial" it still had good intentions. How is that for wanting Names, how about yours (FK)?