Profound Simplicity of Rowdy Herrington's Road House

Rowdy Herrington's Road House (1989), an American action film, belongs to a very special kind of movies that are very hard to write a review about: it is bad enough to be severely criticized and yet it is also good enough to be enjoyed privately in the comfort of your dim cozy room that smells deliciously of pizza and popcorn. This movie is a guilty pleasure that not everyone is eager to confess. Though the plot is often predictable and the cliches are one too many, Patrick Swayze's charisma and Jeff Healey's unique soundtrack make the film well worth watching, especially if you are a fan of all-action blockbusters or upsweeps.

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The plot is not too complicated yet intriguing. From the very beginning James Dalton (Patrick Swayze) is represented as a "dark horse" (the word-play might be weak here, but in the film he is indeed very fond of horses which also like him back). Dalton's genuine passion is philosophy, but he is not famous for university disputes or research. He is well-known as one of the best bouncers in all of America, a person capable of securing the safety of any drinking establishment in the most crime-friendly places in the States. Therefore, it is not surprising that Frank Tilghman (Kevin Tighe), the owner of the Double Deuce, located in a small town of Jasper, invites Dalton asking him to bring peace and order to his club. James is a great professional, an excellent fighter and also, surprisingly enough, a real gentleman. His endeavors are soon crowned with success when a lousy bar becomes a popular establishment with decent clientage. The new cooler does not make a lot of trouble for the ordinary bar visitors, but his moral principles and humane attitude turn him into an ardent opponent of the film's main antagonist Brad Wesley (Ben Gazzara), the uncrowned king of Jasper, one of the richest people in the region. Though Dalton is an adept of the Eastern martial arts and philosophy, in quite a Western manner he is absolutely not accustomed to lose. This turns the sleepy provincial town into an arena of bloody fights, treachery and even murder. The life of the Jasper's inhabitants' and the future of the whole town are at stake. These social implications gradually engage the viewers, making them empathize with the amiable and goodwilling while also manly and decisive citizens (Red, Emmett, Stroudenmire, and Tilghman) even if the protagonist often fails to arouse enough emotion being too perfect, too good at everything to be easily identified with.

The plot certainly has its drawbacks. The bar is being crammed by its visitors with such a regularity that the possibility of its further functioning seems doubtful. The police do not appear on the stage (except for one 30-second entrance). A corpse of one of Wesley's henchmen, Jimmy (Marshall Teague), drifts away unnoticed. The key villain of the movie is too flat and grotesque to look fearful. The combat choreography is uneven: the successful moments are alternated with frantic jokes. Yet, the suspense is successfully built up with the help of Swayze's charismatic acting at a pace which allows the viewer to fully enjoy every scene, long close-ups, flashy and foreboding atmosphere and other cinematographic perks. There are no excessive details or superfluous philosophizing. This film is honest: it does not pretend to be what it is not, and this honesty is obviously one of its biggest advantages.

Another evident strong side of the Road House is its soundtrack. The in-house blind musician Cody from the Double Deuce is played by a real Canadian jazz and blues-rock musician Jeff Healey, who developed a unique playing technique, and who may be called one of the greatest guitarists of the period. Healey's music creates a dynamic and vibrant atmosphere, gives the plot a powerful speed-up and also forms a subtle philosophical undercurrent which in its poignant blues fashion links the internal struggle of the protagonist with the miseries of the humankind as a whole.

Probably the main attraction that the movie can boast is Patrick Swayze, who was in the very bloom of his artistic potential at the time when the film was shot - right between the two of his masterpieces: "Dirty Dancing" (1987) and "Ghost" (1990). His character is a charming Western samurai, reliable, calm, ironic, confident, intelligent, polite and modest. His life is not only work, but also literature, philosophy, nature. He is not afraid of fighting even with the most dangerous opponents, but at the same time he is not seeking it. He can appreciate the love of a beautiful woman, loyalty of both his boss and subordinates, unobtrusive friendship and acceptance of the town dwellers. His job has not turned him into a monster the way it has happened to Brad Wesley's henchmen. He still values human life, though this moral integrity costs him a great deal of trouble. Yet, it seems, that it is also the main guarantee of his future happiness. Notwithstanding Dalton's learned background, his moral philosophy is quite simple. His key principle is "Always be nice. Until it's time not to be nice." It is accompanied by a very reasonable piece of advice: "I want you to remember that it's a job. It's nothing personal." His other two rules are "Never underestimate your opponent. Expect the unexpected" and "Always take it outside." These tips only seem truistic. The wisest of us possess enough clarity and courage to live by simple rules, stay humble, polite and friendly under any circumstances, enjoy the simple things that our everyday life has to offer.

The protagonist's moral "cleanliness" builds up a sharp contrast with the extravagant and gaudy night life that surrounds him. It engages the viewer into a discussion of what it means to live a decent life in a modern world full of violence and injustice. Probably, this is what makes Road House with all its weaknesses such an appealing sight, suggesting that there is something more profound behind the bright facade of the film's action genre and spectacular fighting scenes.

Reference

Herrington, Rowdy. (Director). (1989). Road House. USA: United Artists, Silver Pictures / MGM/UA Communications Co.