>>REVIEW
B.I.K.E.
DIRECTED BY Jacob Septimus and Anthony Howard
Wednesday, May 17
Uptown Screen (Arusha Action Films)
A motley group of maverick artists who, while struggling to define themselves as individuals, band together as a collective, seeking self-assurance in their conformity, is the focus of Anthony Howard and Jacob Septimus’s gritty documentary and a perfect microcosm of society as a whole. They are the Black Label Bicycle Club (BLBC), an anti-materialism, dumpster-diving, counter-culture riddled with inherent contradictions, muddled ideals and vague ambitions.
Not that seeing a poster, trailer or the first 20 minutes of the film would lead you to that impression. At first glance, the film appears to be little more than an exposé on an unkown society, presented using the gimmick of having one of the filmmakers (Howard) attempting to become a member.
But as the film rolls along, the initial glam shots of BLBC members cruising the streets of New York atop six-foot tall bikes, or holding sensational jousting matches under the Brooklyn pass, soon give way to a more intimate understanding of the people behind this overtly exclusive, anti-consumerist organization. This plays out as Howard’s efforts to gain membership in the group become pathological and, after nearly two years of rejection, we bear witness to his complete mental and physical deterioration as he succumbs to heroin, booze and the dark recesses of his own mind.
The visceral emotion evoked by Howard’s struggle for acceptance by a group that has continuously refused him (despite befriending him) out of their need to be "exclusive," is only amplified by the presence of this and other such hypocrisies. Case and point – while vigorously preaching about the evils of car and consumer cultures, they design a doll in their leader’s likeness, drive to a Minnesota bike rally in a Land Rover and a Benz and build a ridiculous rocket-powered bicycle. The latter of which they lamely attempt to defend by suggesting, "Maybe we’re being satirical?"
One of the greatest feats of this film is its ability (however unwittingly) to get past the romanticized notions so often equated with counter-culture gangs and see the reality of the individuals involved. What I see is posturing from a group of fundamentally lonely and confused individuals (who watched Fight Club one too many times), longing to be a part of something bigger than themselves – a something which might offer assurances for the choices they’ve made and the lives they’re forced to lead.
And who are we to judge? |
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