The Girl on a Motorcycle (1968)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

Director:

Jack Cardiff

Writers:

André Pieyre de Mandiargues (novel)
Ronald Duncan (screenplay)

Release Date:

June 1968 (France)

Genre:

Romance

Tagline:

The film sensation of the year!

Plot:

A married woman leaves her husband and zooms off on her motorcycle to see her lover.

Plot Keywords:

Motorcycle | Motorcycle Crash | Breasts | Motorcycle Death | Nudity

Cast

Alain Delon	...	Daniel
Marianne Faithfull	...	Rebecca
Roger Mutton	...	Raymond
Marius Goring	...	Rebecca's Father
Catherine Jourdan	...	Catherine
Jean Leduc	...	Jean
Jacques Marin	...	Pump Attendant
André Maranne	...	French Superintendent
Bari Jonson	...	French Customs Officer
Arnold Diamond	...	French Customs Officer
John G. Heller	...	German Customs Officer
Marika Rivera	...	German Waitress
Richard Blake	...	1st Student
Chris Williams	...	2nd Student
Colin West	...	3rd Student

Also Known As:

Girl on a Motorcycle (UK) (poster title (DVD title)) (USA) (alternative spelling)
La motocyclette (France)
Naked Under Leather (USA) (reissue title)

Runtime:

Germany:91 min | USA:91 min

Country:

UK | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Australia:MA (DVD rating) | Australia:M (original rating) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R (cut version) (1969) | USA:X (1968) | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

France

Company:

Adel Productions

Trivia:

Marianne Faithfull's gift motorcycle is a Harley Davidson; Alain Delon rides a 750cc Norton Atlas.

Goofs:

Continuity: In one of the first scenes, the shifting heard is that of a close-ratio gearbox. In the rest of the film, the shift pattern heard is that of a conventional gearbox.

Quotes:

Rebecca: Rebellion is the only thing that keeps you alive!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Harley-Davidson: The American Motorcycle (1993)

Girl on a stage prop!

What annoyed me about this film was the fact that Alain Delon got top billing for the movie, which is somewhat unfair to Marianne Faithfull seeing as though Alain Delon is only in the film for a collective 40 mins.

But despite that small annoyance, the film is very interesting, but I do believe I say that out of sympathy. The film basically follows Marianne Faithfully on a large motorcycle, which does look like a shocking studio prop a lot of the time, through Alsace to Heidleberg in Germany, to meet up with her motorcycle lover Alain Delon. The story of their relationship is told via flashbacks which is told through flashbacks which are then told through flashbacks etc.

On the whole the film was a daring 1960's movie which aimed at showing raunchy sex scenes through hip psychedelic camera shots and just general 60'sness, if you know what I mean.

It won't be great cinematic viewing (although the shots of Marianne Faithfull bouncing around on a motocycle in nothing but a leather catsuit is somewhat great!) But the movie will offer you something different that you don't see everyday.