Best movie ever!

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

I saw this movie when I was around 12 years old in Tokyo. I went to the theater by myself fully aware of its adult theme. Back then there were no rating system for the movies. It was either a full on porn or a regular movie. This was classified as a regular movie. The movie's title was in Japanese and was called "Into his chest once more" or "Ano mune ni mouichido".I understood the actresses' name was Marianne Faithful. The last name Faithful caught my attention. I knew another Faithful from a song I liked called "As tears go by". Later I made the connection that they were one and the same person. I only heard the song on a radio, so I didn't know what she looked like. Those were the days before music videos.This was also the first movie I've seen of Alain Delon. He was different from my idea of a heart throb. I've seen better looking men like Van Williams from the Green Hornet, and Troy Donahue in Surfside 6. When I saw the movie, I thought Marianne Faithful was pretty, but not gorgeous like many of the American actresses. My ideal at the time was Jane Fonda. So you can tell that my preference were more towards American actors. She was my first exposure to European actor (or from that area more or less).The movie was my first exposure to Harley Davidson. The bike was a monster. But I didn't make the connection that the police bikes in American movies were all Harleys. I was still a kid back then. I thought the helmet she wore was weird.I understood that the movie's theme was about a woman that had a husband who lacked masculinity, and she found sexual attraction in Daniel (Alain Delon). He had the same feelings for her. So she rides her bike to go and see him.The movie was beyond me at the time. I felt that I finally bit off more than I can chew. I thought the ending was crap, and the movie was meaningless. I didn't understand what the point of the movie was. It wasn't such a good movie for me. Back then my taste was very American. This movie didn't have the glamor that I liked.Now 44 years later how do I feel ? I'm glad to say that whatever I thought wasn't so cool about the movie back then still holds, and the things that I thought were superb about the movie still holds. So even through all the experience, and education I had over the years, my eyes were correct when I was 12 years old. It's the only movie that features Marianne Faithful, and that's significant. I felt that Marianne Faithful herself was uncomfortable with her own beauty and sex symbol status. She became herself when she gained weight, and more comfortable about herself as well. When I see this movie now, I can see what a good looking lady she was. It's an important film in some way. It was important to me back then, and I'm glad that it's still a cool movie not by its story, but in an artsy way. I'm also glad that I saw it in all its glory at the age that I saw it at. I did the perfect thing.I'm really glad that I went to see this movie in my formative years. You know, you should ignore what the adults say about what you shouldn't do, and follow your heart. Your heart instinctively know what's important for you.It's a daringly cool one of a kind movie, and I'm rather proud that I had enough wit to understand its value at the age of 12.

The 1960s brought some very interesting films--especially with society's changing mores. Some of these untraditional stories were very successful (such as "Bonnie and Clyde", "Rosemary's Baby". "Tom Jones" and "The Graduate") and some were just downright silly (such as ALL the films about LSD). "The Girl on a Motorcycle" is clearly one of these unsuccessful films that runs from traditional structure and morality but doesn't work because the plot is paper-thin and the characters are just as deep. It's a curious curio--but nothing more.The film begins with a young bride stealing her husband's motorcycle and driving across Europe to meet a lover in Germany. Along the way, she takes off her clothes with little provocation, makes love and just lives for the moment and for her own desires. Why does she do all this? You assume she's just an immature jerk, that's why! No real depth--just a pretty but thoroughly unlikeable lady 'doing her thing'. And, in a case of self-indulgence on the director's part, you see lots of psychedelic colors (for no apparent reason) from time to time.I really don't think the film was designed at all for the average person--and they probably never would have sat through this thing. My feeling is that it was meant to be a fusion--a film for the hippies and artsy types. As I said, it's a curio but not a film most folks would particularly enjoy. As for me, I may be crazy, but I like a modicum of depth to the films I watch. Heck, this film has LESS depth than a Sylvester Stallone flick!All in all, a waste of a good motorcycle and even the occasional glimpses of the star naked aren't enough to keep this interesting!

The great Jack Cardiff was an exceptional cinematographer before his career as a director. "The Girl on a Motorcycle", which came out in 1968, was an attempt to work on a genre that was popular at the time. After all, everything back then was psychedelic and mod. The film is based on a French novel that probably was better than the adaptation by the director and Ronald Duncan.Starting with the opening credits, we are taken along for a ride through some of the most scenic areas of France, Germany and Switzerland. At the center of the story is Rebecca, a luscious young woman trapped into a loveless marriage. Her recollection of the great love affair she had with Daniel, is the excuse for the road trip. In flashbacks we are told the missing details of Rebecca and Daniel's romance and torrid encounters. Unfortunately, there is little substance to the story because the road trip is more interesting than the sum of its parts.It has been noted that Alain Delon was given top billing in the film, when the real star is Marianne Faithful, a singer with an attractive face and gorgeous body. Ms. Faithful's Rebecca comes across as a woman who has no clue as to what to do with her life. The Daniel of Alain Delon is not one of his best creations because the director makes him an interesting figure, which in reality, he is not. Marius Goring has nothing to do as the father of Rebecca.

I feel I must comment on what aimless-46 said in his (or her) review:"The ending is a bit of a puzzle; after the accident they pull up from the scene to a wide aerial shot and you expect the movie to go out on this shot (copied for "Easy Rider's" ending), which would have been very effective. Instead they cut to a travelogue-like scene of a European village and go to credits after about 60 seconds of this stuff. It serves no purpose other than to deflate any lasting impact."Actually the ending is quite clear and extremely effective!Earlier in the film, Rebecca daydreams about seeing her lover at 8am. As the clock chimes 8 in Heidelberg, we see Rebecca on her motorcycle traveling the road, parking her bike, running up the garden path to the gazebo and falling into Daniel's arms. She is then pulled out of her daydream (I believe by the tank full of soldiers driving past her on the road) and continues with her "real" travel to her lover.At the end of the film, this scene is played out again. Once the camera pulls away from Rebecca's crash, we hear the clock begin to chime 8 in Heidelberg. The camera focuses in on the clock, then revisits the same locations that Rebecca had imagined in her daydream, only she is not there. There is a sadness as we see the deserted road where she imagined she would travel, the place where she would have parked her bike, the empty garden path and the gazebo. We see the void she has left behind due to the carelessness leading to her horrible (yet spectacular) crash. And the viewer can't help but be reminded of how she told Daniel the last time they met that she would never come to him again. One wonders how he will take the news of her death, or if he will find out about it at all. Basically it's a meditation on loss and it's really quite moving.By the way, it's impossible to see this film and not get the metaphor of a teenage girl's dark sexual awakenings as embodied in the wedding gift of a motorcycle from her lover.A groovy soundtrack, leather, whips, motorcycle races, Alpine skiing, free love, fondue, Marianne Faithful getting lashed by a dozen thorny red roses - what a film! Thank you, Mr. Cardiff!