Dennis Hopper: 1936-2010
Hero: Dennis Lee Hopper
30/05/2010
Hero to some, villain to his many ex-wives, Dennis Hopper was a hard-living maverick and substance-induced nightmare. But beneath that drug-fuelled exterior lay a genuinely talented artist... Acting, writing, directing, painting and photography, Hopper was a creative maverick.
"Can I have one of those Chesterfields now?"
That comment, taken from the movie True Romance, is uttered by Hopper knowing he is about to die. The scene in question is an incredibly powerful & ingenious piece of dialogue scripted by a certain Quentin Tarantino. The scene -which also features Christopher Walken- shows Hopper's genuine talent as an actor. it's also quite a subtle performance, which played against his generic "howling mad psychotic" stereotype.
Hopper's big breakthrough was alongside James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause & Giant. Apparently, Dean was a big fan of European Cinema, and he, Hopper and pals used to watch alot of French nouvelle vague, Italian neo-realism, Bergman & Kurosawa. This influence had an impact on Hopper which eventually saw him turn to directing as well as acting.
The 1960s also had a profound impact on Hopper, his debauchery is well documented, and how on earth he managed to still have a career amongst all of the alcohol & drug-taking is indeed an achievement in itself. Due to the high-calibre inebriation, Hopper was also considered a total nightmare on (and off) set. Some directors couldn't work with him, and many horror stories have emerged from his ex-wives.
His seminal Easy Rider is perhaps his most famous film, and is a film that genuinely shook up the Hollywood establishment upon its release in 1969. The film was a HUGE success, and was the first to show the counter culture as it actually was. On and off set, Hoppers drink & drug binges were constant... he & producer/co-star Peter Fonda fell out (due to a substance-induced clash of egos), and Hopper's insistence at a more verite feel to the movie alienated Colombia pictures, who financed the film. Apparently, the final cut ran to nearly 3 hours, but Hopper's obvious talent in the cutting room soon cut it down to just over half that.
A rum-fuelled performance in the Australian film Mad Dog Morgan (1976), is also one of his better roles, even his faux 'Oirish' accent is none too bad. An incredibly drug-fuelled Hopper turned up in Apocalypse Now (1979), a film where he was allegedly supplying drugs to all and sundry (look at his eyes in the documentary Hearts of Darkness... I mean, just look at the bloomin' state of him!), and another very famous role as truly psychotic Frank Booth in David Lynch's classic Blue Velvet (1986). I get the feeling that Hopper really was Frank Booth when I watch him in that film.
Many, many roles followed, but none were very memorable. It seemed he was taking roles to balance his passion for purchasing works of art (an expensive hobby indeed). Oh, and he had a string of ex-wives, as well. Four confirmed divorces, and the fifth had been filed for whilst he was still battling the cancer that eventually killed him.
After the success of Easy Rider, Hopper filmed what he intended to be he masterpiece. The Last Movie questions filmed fiction with regards to reality, and is set in a Peruvian village. It's a highly original piece with Hopper himself playing a stunt man who decides to stay on in the village after an accident during production. Legend has it that, due to him shooting an enormous amount of footage, Hopper was editing for around a year. Universal had funded the film, but never understood it. Although it won the critics prize in the Venice film festival, Universal buried it, giving it an extremely limited cinema release. I saw it on UK TV many years ago, and it has not been seen of since. Very recently, however, Hopper had apparently bought back the rights, and was intending to release it. It would indeed be a fitting tribute if The Last Movie could get the release both it -and Hopper's legacy- rightly deserve.
Do you want to know more? Worldwidegimp recommends:
There's an interesting documentary 'American Dreamer', which was filmed during Hopper's time in Peru when he was filming 'The Last Movie'.
Try to see the great interview with Director Philippe Mora on the Mad Dog Morgan DVD. Mora asks some pretty banal questions, but what Hopper has to say about the making of 'Mad Dog' in Australia, the downfall of the 1960s (which he attributes to the drug dealers) and his views on art, are really interesting.
I also recommend reading Peter Biskind's 'Easy Riders, Raging Bulls' book. It includes lots of stories concerning a demented Hopper at the peak of his heroic self-abuse.
Dennis Hopper: Photographs 1961-1967, published by Taschen. You'll need a fat wallet for this one.
Heroes & Villains Archive pages
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