Hailed as a classic upon its rerelease, this British road movie doesn't quite live up to the hype, predominantly because it's so deliberately despondent. Focusing on the alienation from one's fellow man that arises from the isolation of motorway travel, the film follows a young man travelling across the country after his brother's death, perhaps unconsciously seeking to rediscover a similar attachment to another person.
Instead, he picks up an intimidatingly aggressive hitch-hiker, briefly relates in a superficial manner with a musical mechanic (played by a young Sting), then becomes involved with a German woman stranded in Bristol with her daughter, all playing their part in his attempts to 'wake up' from his self-imposed stupor.
Throughout, the film boasts an excellent soundtrack of early electronica from the likes of Kraftwerk and David Bowie, further emphasizing the artificiality of the modern age. Inspired and produced by Wim Wenders, in the spirit of his own European road movies, this makes a informed attempt at transposing the genre to Britain but too often feels a little rushed and cheap, without any truly revelatory content.
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