If you have taken the time to watch films based on the life of athletes from rags to riches, you might find that although the World’s fastest Indian is based on a similar storyline the director Roger Donaldson has managed to capture the story of a simple old New Zealander rather than usual story of a young fit athlete, sounds boring right? However the film is brought to life through fantastic character portrayal by Anthony Hopkins who plays Burt Munro an old motorcyclist from New Zealand, and effective use of film techniques which are shown through the experience of Roger Donaldson’s works. Takes a story of a man with a dream and turns it into an emotional ride for us all. Roger Donaldson has created a hidden gem which is often overlooked by many audiences around the globe, it tells the story of Burt Munro’s life and his dream to achieve the world speed record as he travels across America to reach Bonneville, Utah. In the film the director epitomizes ideas of kiwi spirit and determination the “make-do attitude” and refusal to be intimidated by overwhelming odds. This makes for an entertaining film about our Kiwi history, that we have such little of.

Brief overview

The film beings in small-town Invercargill where Burt is very simple and stubborn like his community with a dream of riding his life long project his 47-year-old Indian in the Bonneville Salt flats. Burt is well known in his small community for being a loud and childish adult who brings a positive and likeable presence and a master of first impressions. This year Burt has saved up enough to travel over to America with his Indian. on his travels Burt meets many different personalities of people and finds a way to woo them with his first impression and learns how to make the most of them, this is how Burt manages to find a place to race his bike along the salt flats and achieve his dream.

Character – review

Anthony Hopkins is a great actor in his own right however with the big-name comes big roles like the film: Silence Of The Lambs, and I just can’t quite get my head around how one psychopathic serial killer can also be an innocent man from Invercargill who hasn’t seen city lights before? This thought only occurs to me because of Hopkins quality of acting and how he can go so deeply into portraying a character that he seems exactly like the real thing. Much the same In World Fastest Indian the fact Hopkins can play extremely different types of role personalities and play them so believably is most likely why Roger Donaldson has chosen Hopkins for a film which has emotional value to him. The intention of Burt Munro’s character played by Hopkins is to show that even though he is a 60-year-old man he is still an 18-year-old speed freak kid at heart. These characteristics are widely shown throughout the film through the use of humour. An example of this is the way Burt brushes aside his problems with the use of humour, “It’s only flat at the bottom” and “Bad luck with the crash, Well I’m still in one piece aren’t I?” Either Hopkins has a child of his own or a great memory as his style and portrayal of an 18-year-old boy with still some presence of maturity while keeping a sense of innocence is extraordinary. Very much like when Burt is in a taxi driving through LA city and squishes his face up against the window like a child and is amazed by the lights like a kid on their first Christmas. Traits like this form a vastly entertaining character and capture the real personality of Burt Munro a figure which director Roger Donaldson admires and who should be more than impressed with Hopkins performance.

Sound and Camera

For a Movie based on the vroom of an engine, Sound is a critical factor in bringing life to this particular type of film. Through his experience in loud noisy things and experience in intense action movies, The Rocket Man Rodger Donaldson With his love for all things intense it is clear to see he has not hesitated to put his heart into The World’s fastest Indian. which is shown through the thought and creativity put into sound and camera effects. Camera Movement can be used extensively by filmmakers to make meaning, it is how a scene is put together to produce an image. In the opening scene we can learn more about Burt than what meets the eye. For example, Donaldson uses a Close up shot of alarm clock this shows Burts love for speed as its shaped like a stopwatch. Alongside an establishing shot around Burts shed we understand he is single-minded about motorbiking. These Ideas help us as the audience understand Character and personality in a brief space of time. The use of Sound also plays a part in creating this idea: Counting pace meters in Burt’s dream reinforces his love for motorbike giving us clear intentions that the film is about him riding his motorbike. This much character development squashed into the first 5 minutes of the film is a example of how creative and open-minded Rodger Donaldson is in the film industry. Although the use of sound and camera Isn’t the dramatic Intense speed scenes we watch later on in the movie, The simplistically but great significance shifted into the opening scene shows us the knowledge of Rodger Donaldson within his media works and his knowledge of Burt Munro. Which I believe captures everything Munro was.

The World’s Fastest Indian is a heartfelt story of true New Zealand spirit and is a reminder that no matter who or what you are you can achieve anything if you stay positive and forward-focused. Which by the title you may already tell ‘ Worlds fastest Indian’ isn’t about coming second place as Burt Munro achieves the speed record of “streamlined motorcycles under 1000 cc.” Holding a milestone in the world of engines which is still held to this day and a hero in the land of New Zealand, Rodger Donaldson has captured his childhood idol Burt Munro in his prime and shown it to the World. Pakipaki Rodger.