The character of James Dalton (Patrick Swayze), who came to fame before his arrival in the town of Casper, Missouri, is the protagonist of Road House, one of the cult films of the 1980s. The most important reason to watch this movie again is that its new version has been shot and is very busy these days.
I re-watched the movie with the idea that one should remember the old before remembering the new. I would like to start by saying that I admired the acting performance of the character James Dalton, who starts working as a bouncer of a troubled bar in a new town.
What I like most about old movies (more than 30 years old) is the behavior of the characters and the way they are staged according to the characteristics of the characters that the actors bring to life. The performances of the actors in old movies are far ahead of the story of the movie and play a much more important role in the success of the movie than the performances of today's actors.
Their dialogues, their behaviors and the way they stage the details created specifically for the character become very important. I can also add clothing to the list because some characters could even influence fashion. In the newer movies, the characters lag behind the story, the effects, the plot and even the genre of the movie. I'm not saying they are not enough, but they are not enough like in the old movies!
The character of James Dalton in the movie Road House has many of the qualities I have described above. The character's most distinctive features were his calmness and composure. The fact that it is in harmony with the work he does, while watching the movie, gains added importance in the evaluation of the actor's performance, because at a time when critics use everything, it is very important for the audience to form a preliminary opinion.
Another thing that caught my attention is that nudity is used more in older movies, and I'm not just talking about Road House. If you watch any movie from at least 30 years ago, regardless of the genre, there is always a nude female figure in it. I don't see this in many of the newer movies I've seen recently, and when I do, the genre distinction is made more carefully. Maybe the expectations of the audience were the same in those days, but nowadays they are much different, so the producers are acting in accordance with the demand. Or maybe, thanks to the internet, we as viewers have easier access to certain things nowadays, so it's not as appealing as it used to be.
Whatever the reason, the warm atmosphere created in Road House through the bar and the fight against the town's common enemy is made much better thanks to the excellent contribution of the characters. It was one of the movies I enjoyed watching. And I liked the final scene extra much. Saying “I didn't see anything” even though everyone saw everything; witnessing otherwise was the end of the plot that I smiled and applauded.
Especially for those who haven't seen it, I recommend watching the movie Road House, but don't confuse it with the new version. Watch the 1989 movie! Sometimes I think that impossibilities or limited possibilities are the greatest possibilities and sometimes I get the feeling that the more we develop, the more we regress. Of course, I will watch the new version in the coming days, but although I can't say anything in terms of shooting and story progression, I am almost sure that I will like the current movie more with the performances of the actors.
Thank you very much for being here and reading. I hope you like the movie and enjoy it. Have a good weekend and goodbye!
