The World's Fastest Indian

In this independently released sleeper, consummate actor's actor Anthony Hopkins brings a deceptively diminutive, real-life hero--legendary motorcyclist Burt Munro--to the big screen in a larger-than-life biopic. Directed with heartfelt passion by Australian Roger Donaldson, The World's Fastest Indian tells the improbable story of one man's all-consuming mission to become the fastest man on two wheels. For twenty-five years, New Zealander Burt Munro has dreamed of trekking far from the shores of his town of Invercargill to take a shot at breaking the motorcycle land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. But as the movie opens, we find not some youth with the latest tricked-out bike, but a pensioner pushing seventy and nursing hardened arteries, for which he must take nitroglycerin pills to prevent his heart from giving out. Pushing his dream even farther from the reaches of reality, he plans to ride to glory on a mechanical antique--his beloved 1920 Indian Scout. The bike originally left the factory able to reach a top speed of fifty-four miles per hour; but Burt intends to reach 200. Hopkins is brilliant in capturing the unassuming outer persona of Munro. His portrayal gives us the sense not that we are in the presence of greatness so much as resolute persistence. Burt Munro is a self-effacing charmer and tinkerer whose eccentric personality is out of phase with his stolid, suburbanite neighbors. They, understandably, are more than mildly annoyed by his loudly revving bike engine before the break of dawn, and by his absent-mindedness about getting around to mowing his lawn. One neighbor, though, twelve-year-old Tom, sees in Burt not some tottering old crank, but a hero and mentor. The scenes in Burt's tool shed as Tom listens to the old man's reminisces and aspirations are among the movie's most sincere and enchanting. Even as we are subtly prodded not to take Burt completely seriously, Tom's uncorrupted awe and youthful idolization help stoke the man's quiet inner passion to see his plan to fruition. "If you don't follow through on your dreams, you might as well be a vegetable," he counsels the boy. "What kind of vegetable?" Tom inquires. With biting succinctness, Hopkins replies, "A cabbage." One thing that separates Burt from a legion of dreamers who abandon their ambitions is his resourcefulness. On a shoestring budget, he constantly employs his mechanical ingenuity to modify the Indian, with which he is more intimate than he is with any living person. Never taking a day off, not even for Christmas, he spends untold hours and days forging new pistons and souping up his "motorsicle," readying it for the big trip. Much of the movie concerns itself with Burt's personal odyssey to Bonneville for "Speed Week." He finances part of the journey by working as a cook and dishwasher on a freighter bound for America. Upon arrival, he works late into the night repairing a cheap old clunker to tow the Indian across the desert to Utah. Along the way we meet a benevolent, motley crew who happen into and out of Burt's life, including a fast-talking used car salesman (comedian Paul Rodriguez) whom Burt nearly kills while test driving on the left side of the road; a hotel desk clerk in drag (Chris Williams); an aging American Indian (Saginaw Grant) who helps Burt out of a tight spot; a widow, Ada (Diane Ladd), who takes a respite from loneliness during a brief encounter with Burt; and an Airman on furlough from Vietnam (Patrick Flueger). In a quietly reflective scene, Burt relates to Ada what motivates him to push himself further: A man is like a blade of grass. He grows up in the spring, strong and healthy and green. And, then he reaches middle age and he ripens, as it were. And, in the autumn, he finishes, he fades away and never comes back...I think that when you're dead, you're dead. In this soliloquy Hopkins summarizes the film's philosophy--that there's no room for soothing stagnation on Earth by nurturing dreams to be fulfilled only in the hereafter. Life must be lived now, because tomorrow may never come. Arriving in Bonneville, Burt must overcome new challenges strewn in his path: Speed Week organizers inform him that he forgot to pre-register; his ancient motorcycle has no safety equipment; he's simply too old to be allowed to race in the time trials. But because of his dogged refusal to back down after traveling around the world, the race organizers humor Burt and allow him to enter the time trials. The World's Fastest Indian is superb in every respect. For director Donaldson, it represents the fulfillment of a double obsession: dramatizing Burt Munro's breathtaking pursuit of his lifelong goal, and realizing Donaldson's own quarter-century quest to bring his hero-friend's incredible story to the screen. David Gribble's lush cinematography is full of vibrant hues and astounding moving camerawork, expertly capturing racing vehicles traveling at speeds topping 200 miles per hour. But it's Hopkins who ultimately makes this picture work so well, in his most heroic role since playing efficacious industrialist Charles Morse in 1997's The Edge. Though not given to hyperbole, Hopkins proclaimed The World's Fastest Indian "the best film I've been in." I agree, absolutely. His natural, evocative portrayal of a man who refuses to resign himself to the tedium expected of one in old age will inspire viewers of all ages. His Burt Munro is not content merely to dream, but is that rare individual who makes his dreams reality. "For me, it's a big change," Hopkins commented about Munro, "because it's a real winner of a guy. I've had a good career playing psychopaths or uptight people, and I'm fed up with those." Ironically, his rousing performance of this aging hero is the best depiction of the spirit of youth I've seen in a decade. Spend a couple hours with Burt Munro, and you'll find in his quiet resolve the idealism you may have mislaid somewhere along the way.

I watched The world's Fastest Indian last night and was absolutely floored. The following review is more about the sense of feeling this movie evoked in me then an actually critique. I believe this movie will strike a cord with a lot of people, as it did with me. Anthony Hopkins has really hit the nail on the head this time. This movie, as the previous reviewer stated is a must see for motorcycle enthusiasts. I believe though a film such as this will appeal to more then just a small segment of the population. It is the true story of a man who had a dream of setting the world land speed record on his Indian motorcycle and preseveres through all manners of trials and tribulations to achieve his goal. On his journey to the Bonneville Salt Flats from New Zealand, he meets all manner of interesting characters who provide him with assistance to achieve his dream. Movies such as this I feel provide a sense of hope to all who may have dreamed a little dream. When I was a wee red haired lad I knew a man similar to Burt Munro, the character Anthony Hopkins plays , he was my grandfather. It dawned on me, as I was watching this movie, I too use to sit in my grandfathers work shed and watch as he built all manner of things. He was self-taught and had a good sense of all things mechanical. I spent hours listening to him philosophize about life in general and have carried with me to this day, many little nuggets of wisdom he past on. This movie reminded me of my youth and all the good things that happened during that time. All I was looking for was to see Anthony Hopkins's character go over 200 miles an hour on an Indian, but I ended up seeing something else. Huh, imagine that. It's an odd thing how movies such as this can evoke such strong emotions in a person. My grandfather sadly past away 31 years ago this October. He along with my grandmother were killed by a drunk driver. In the movie Burt stated on several occasions he was dead set against drinking and smoking, hence why I mention the above accident. I just found this movie to strangely parallel certain things in my life and that is why, I guess, it has provoked such strong emotions within me. I am not really sure what that makes it, but it is most certainly worth watching more than once. Anyway, for better or worse those are my thoughts on The World's Fastest Indian. I just ordered in once again in HD DVD, I suspect the PQ & AQ will be excellent.

Très beau film d'aventure basé sur une histoire vraie, l'Amérique en 66-67 en toile de fond.

Evocative film - very enjoyable

男なら誰が観ても「カッコいい！」と思える映画です

Ótimo mas idioma só inglês

No le doy las cinco estrellas porque no lleva audio en castellano, solo tiene en este idioma los subtitulos. Pelicula imprescindible para moteros y muy recomendable para el resto del publico. Basada en hechos reales, la pelicula es muy entretenida, tiene buen ritmo y está muy bien contada. Anthony Hopkins estuvo propuesto para el Oscar,al mejor actor , con todo merecimiento. Burt Munro, record de velocidad en moto de menos de 1000 cc,en 1967 .! Lo logrò a la edad de 68 años!!, y sigue imbatido.