The Bikes of Wrath is a delightful documentary film about five young men from Australia who ride bicycles across the southwestern United States. Enraptured with the famous novel The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, they set out to bike from Oklahoma to Bakersfield, California, the same route the fictional Joad family took in their exodus from the Dust Bowl.
They undertook this trek in July. You heard me right. I live in New Mexico, and this is nothing short of foolhardy. But they persist in this 2600 km (1,612 mile) journey, taking only the same amount of money the Joad’s had with them on their trip.
This documentary was fascinating, and I’m so glad a friend asked my husband and I to go to our local art cinema to see it. It is much more than just a bike trip. Interspersed in the action are people they meet along the way reading excerpts from the novel, along with a look at how the Dust Bowl was created, as well as the hardships that followed. The people they meet are often themselves the descendants of Dust Bowl survivors. The documentary does a great job showing what this part of the United States is like culturally and economically.
The look at America through the eyes of these Australian men is enlightening, and sometimes heartbreaking. Class divides and prejudice continue to this day, not completely abolished with the passage of time.
Are you a long distance biker? Did you see The Bikes of Wrath? What did you think of the film? What other documentaries would you recommend?
I don’t care about bike riding and, when I was young, I found it boring. Now, I am not allowed to bike because the repetitive motion creates scar tissue due to my joint issues. This would be a very good documentary to see and I never even heard about it. I did watch, I think it was for. the Great American Experience, about the dust bowl and it was a fascinating documentary.
ReplyDeleteEven if you aren't interested in bike riding, you'd probably find this documentary interesting. It gives a flavor of that part of the U.S. and the people who live there now. The country is so diverse!
DeleteI agree with everything Suzanne wrote. It's a good movie, thought-provoking in so many ways. I've done bike-touring, and it's important to follow one of the most important rules: pick the right season.
ReplyDeleteYes, I can't imagine what it must have been like pedaling across the high desert with no shade! Thanks for commenting!
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