Who are the people voting that have kept this down to a low score ?
(6.5 out of 10)
I can't see any reason why this film isn't an 8/9 rated film. I am a big fan and as such am biased but I don't think it should be rated so poorly.
Any thoughts?
'Peace Out'
Personally this is my favourite film of all time, and I'll give it 10 out of 10 every time. I really ought to vote more often on this site, stop idiots bringing down good films.....
PS to whoever said there should be more surf music: though I like surf music, I reckon the film does better without it - try watching it with the surfaris playing on your stereo, it just doesn't work!
Hey there Rhodt, it looks like we're alone in thinking this film is great!!
I think maybe they should install a voting system where you have to 'qualify' to vote. IQ test followed by a list of films to rate should suffice!
'Peace Out'
I just watched it for the first time. I give this film a 9/10, it has such a great 'feel' to it, its incredible.
shareHaving just watched Big Wednesday for the first time, I reckon the mark is about fair. The great plus point of the film is clearly the surfing sequences, which even as a devoted urbanite I could appreciate. The period soundtrack is also great.
Unfortunately John Milius was never one for subtlety, and the macho posturing grates horribly at times - for example the daft bit when the ludicrously stereotyped hippies have taken over the cafe. And the acting is mediocre - straight to video hell awaited.
To end on a positive note, though - far better than that blatant rip-off, the execrable Point Break
This film is in no way connected to Point Break, except that parts of PB are an obvious homage to the earlier (and better) "surf" film. To lump them together just because they both have surfing in is, from someone who seems intelligent enough, just pure laziness.
As for BW, subtle it may not be but it is a classic, be it a cult classic, whatever that means is debatable, but a classic is a classic none the less. I sill reckon there should be an IQ test before posting and voting is allowed...
'Peace Out'
For increasing numbers of people, the test of time has established this as one of the best movies ever made. Unfortunately, it was grossly misunderstood and unfairly trashed by mainstream critics in the late 70's. These same critics were swooning over a number of films with much less character depth, historical significance and social meaning, and which could not even approach Big Wednesday in terms of its innovative cinematography and powerful score. There is one particular scene in this movie which should be recognized as one of the very best in the history of filmmaking -- the scene where I believe Peter Townend surfs the rocky coast alone, as the character Jack, before heading off to Vietnam. This scene, for those who care to tune in, explains without words the meaning of surfing. The cinematography, score and technically perfect surfing are breathtaking to behold. While I could go on for pages about all this movie has to offer, I will conclude by stating that I simply cannot see this movie enough times.
shareStereotyped hippies. So WHAT?
I hate people who say things like this without thinking about what they mean. The owner is stereotyped to show a period of history and how that guy is reacting to the period of history and the ideals it upholds. If he weren't stereotyped it wouldn't be obvious what he was portraying.
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This movie really touch me a lot. The characters are convincingly growing in different era. I really like way they tell the story of friendship among trio.
The score and the music used for this movie are also fantastic.
I like it a lot. I gave it a 10/10.
I gave 9/10. While this isn't a cinematic tour de force like, say, Jean Luc Godard's "Contempt" ('63, with Bridgette Bardot), this is my favorite surfing film of all time and is possibly the best Vietnam-War-age film that doesn't have combat scenes. The characters seem believable, and you get to see them go through ups and downs in life, and the directing is not too shabby! For instance, the lighting of the actors that Milius uses in the final night scene on the pier with Bear and Matt: you just don't see that quality decision-making in other surf films, and surfing IS a real bonding kind of human experience that isn't covered properly (& enough) by filmakers and studios.
sharecontempt is trash
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This movie sucks ass. It's just horrible. You can't get around the atrocious dialogue which is slightly worse than the god-awful directing. Come on. How can you love this movie when the dialogue is so poor?
That being said, the surf scenes kick ass. Too bad you have to wade through pools of crap to get to them. It's like watching a pornography and having to to endure horrible acting and dialogue in order to get to the money shots.
This movie is lucky to get a 6. And that's only because surfers will grab onto any movie that involves their sport. I surf occasionally and really enjoy it. It would never improve my vision of this garbage.
yaeh, dialouge, you should dub some dawsons creek reruns over it and watch again , that should get youn intellectual juices flowwing. As far as grabbing into any movie that involves the sport, 'surfing occasionally' obviosly aint enough. Im not sure about how much clambering over each ther the 'real' surfing community did to claim point break of blue crush as their own. The movie is on the money.
shareI just saw the movie and I think you need to be into surfing to appreciate it. If you haven't been there it's a very boring film. BW shows very poor acting and your average predictable Hollywood plot. I guess I've missed the scenes of 'historical significance' and 'innovative cinematography'. Maybe, what you are trying to point out is that this movie is more 'historicaly significant' then other surf-flicks. The comment on the Vietnam war is interesting, but then again... There are so many films about the Vietnam war and most of them are much more powerful. BW is a good movie to show during a 60's & 70's party with the audio off and your own choice of music on.
shareFrom my perspective (life-long surfer, drafted in 1968) this is the closest that Hollywood has ever come to getting it 'right' in a fictional film with surfing as a main topic. That said, much of the dialogue and some complete scenes were cringe-inducing. Add to that, a number of historical flaws, and I give it a 7. The gist of the film was more about how a common experience/past time (surfing) can forge life-long bonds among certain friends. This was the part that felt most real to me, based on my own life experiences. It is unfortunate that the dialogue and directing are not equal to the idea, as it were. I'd say that the consensus among surfers who lived during those years, and had parallel experiences, is the film is basically too corny.
Two of the characters, Matt and Bear, are based on real people.
I'm 24 and tried a bit of surfing in my teens. I am by no means "a surfer". However, I have loved this film since I first saw it about five or six years ago. It touches my emotions every time. The score is wonderful and you are made to feel sympathy with the characters. I actually think some of the acting is pretty good too. For there to be historical flaws is irrelevant. To me, the film is about teenage friendship and the things that test that friendship whilst growing into adults, something we can all relate too. I would score this film very highly and would go as far as saying that it's one of the best from that decade. Indeed, "Fan-Bloody-tastic"!!
shareSurfing. No. Vietnam. No. Loyalty Motherfu*ker
shareI saw the majority of this at a party some time ago, and never quite made it to the end. I remember enjoying it a lot more than I expected to, and although I remember there were surfing scenes, dont remember them being the main point of the film.
I think I shall try and watch this again.
You have to see the end to understand the whole film. It all comes together in the end.
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Well, I happen to love this movie. As I was born in 1979 and am from the north of Scotland (not a pleasant place to surf) I think that favouritism may not be an issue. I feel that this is one of the best movies ever to depict male friendships. It goes through the 3 major stages... 1. We are friends and anyone else can go *beep* themselves. 2. Everybody goes in seperate directions. 3. The survivors get together. (You can lose friends without wars.) I have no idea how many times I have seen this movie but it gets better every time.
Look for the big swell...
this is probably the most poetic and inspiring comming of age story I've ever seen! 11/10!
this is what all movies should be about (and I don't mean surf in particular, but on how honest the story is told)
also one amazzing sound track! if it had surfaries of beach boys it would be impossible to take it as serious as this film really is!
The movie is corny. The acting is cheesy. Scenes are contrived and the story is predictable. and yet, somehow, through all this, it is the greatest movie ever made.
It's the late 1970's, surfing has been deusched out and ripped apart and turned into a way to sell gotcha t-shirts and trips to Hawaii. This movie is Jesus Christ wearing a polyesther shirt and berkenstock sandals. a story about friendship and surfing, life changes and risk is presented to us in a visually dazzling piece of art without the benefit of speical effects or hundreds of millions of dollars worth of scenes.
It is the essential of the essentials and represents timeless ideas in thier most natural states. quotable, rewatchable, and always, always entertaining to the masses, this movie will stick out in your mind like the first time you used flourescent magic markers. All that you are looking for and more, and even though you are aware of how unnecessarily it delivers the color, you love it.
I've seen this movie yesterday and i found it fantastic (i gave it 8 out of 10))...A moving story about friendship,with kick-ass surfing sequences and amazing soundtrack.
Too bad Hollywood has quit to make such great flicks...
The best movie about surfers ever made.
"The only bad "f-word" is FCC."
- Tom Morello