Two drifters bum around, visit earthy women and discuss opening a car wash in Pittsburgh.
Acting
Raw, pre-stardom Pacino meets volcanic Hackman — both career peaks.
Direction
Schatzberg lets silences scream louder than dialogue.
Cinematography
Bleached highways and dive bars that reek of stale beer.
Director
Jerry Schatzberg
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Pacino made this right before The Godfather Part II; he considered Lion his favorite role. Hackman and he improvised extensively on the road.
The film flopped in '73 but won Palme d'Or — a classic case of America rejecting its own reflection. It directly influenced later road movies like Midnight Cowboy and Rain Man.
US
