Tracks (1976)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Henry Jaglom

Writer:

Henry Jaglom (writer)

Release Date:

1976 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The Vietnam war has just ended. But for Jack Falen, the battle is only beginning.

Plot:

A soldier (Dennis Hopper) returns from Vietnam on special assignment, accompanying the body of his friend by train to California for burial...

Plot Keywords:

Flashback | Soldier | Train | Nudity | Train Ride

Cast

Dennis Hopper	...	1st Sgt. Jack Falen
Taryn Power	...	Stephanie
Dean Stockwell	...	Mark
Topo Swope	...	Chloe
Alfred Ryder	...	The Man
Zack Norman	...	Gene
Michael Emil	...	Emile
Barbara Flood	...	The Lady
Cayle Chernin	...	Train Passenger
Vance Davis	...	Train Passenger
Nate Esformes	...	Train Steward
James Frawley	...	Train Passenger
Mary George	...	Train Passenger
Jim Gitter	...	Train Passenger
Kevin Hoffman

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

San Diego, California, USA

Trivia:

The role of 1st Sgt. Jack Falen was originally meant for Jack Nicholson.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Who Is Henry Jaglom? (1997)

Cult Movies 9

9. TRACKS (drama, 1975) Jack (Dennis Hopper), an ex-Vietnam veteran, is escorting the coffin of his dead friend's body, which is to be buried in their hometown. They travel by train, where Jack meets various interesting people.

Critique: Actor Dennis Hopper has said that one of his main influences in acting was James Dean ("he was pure gold man"). He worked with Dean in his first film, the quintessential-classic 'Rebel Without a Cause' (1955) and in his second film 'Giant' (1956). Dean's mannerist style, irreverent mumbling and magnetic charisma made him into an overnight legend never before seen… and then there was Dennis Hopper.

Though at first I saw Hopper as one of Dean's many clones, he has evolved into a surprisingly charismatic presence, full of his own style of anger and psychosis. One can see that early on he was very much influenced by Dean's untimely (or timely) death in 1955. His brief marriage to the daughter of a Hollywood 'mogul' producer landed him in the blacklist for his bad boy streak. Through the 1960s and 1970s he drifted in and out of Hollywood, spending most of his time in Europe (playing the "ugly American" parts). His experiments with drugs and alcohol landed him with his best financial triumph in 'Easy Rider' (1968). But that was all. He again disappeared into obscurity and fell further into disfavor with the "Hollywood crowd".

His career suddenly resurfaced giving a tour-De-force performance in David Lynch's controversial 'Blue Velvet' (1985), and as a director with the influential 'Colors' (1988). Though I still admire his maniacal Frank Booth in 'Blue Velvet' (thus, typecasting him in 'psycho' roles), I rather like him in 'Tracks'. He displays great depth (most of the film's dialog is improvised), passionate mood swings, and a sense of reality. It could well be Hopper himself we see on screen trying to exorcise his inner demons.

Director Henry Jaglom's claustrophobic camera-work, angst written screenplay and fallible pacing serves Hopper perfectly, the non-conformist. Hopper's Jack describes himself as being shy but is, in truth, a disturbed little soul. Lapsing into frequent, uncontrollable fits, anti-social, and traumatized by the loss of his childhood (the film's score works perfectly on the same wavelength). This is his most accomplished role yet.

QUOTE: Jack: "Do you think about your childhood often? I think about mine. When the going gets rough, I think about my childhood.'