[T]his film offers a nightmare image: the "Black Rebels," an outlaw motorcycle gang - a leather-jacketed pack who resemble storm troopers - terrorize a town. Their emblem is a death's head and crossed pistons and rods, and Marlon Brando, in his magnetic, soft-eyed youth, is their moody leader. The picture seemed to be frightened of its subject - the young nihilists who say "no" to American blandness and conformity - and reduced it as quickly as possible to the trivial meaninglessness of misunderstood boy meets understanding girl (Mary Murphy), but the audience savored the possibilities, and this clumsy, naive film was banned and argued about in so many countries that it developed a near-legendary status. (Pauline Kael)

[T]his film offers a nightmare image: the "Black Rebels," an outlaw motorcycle gang - a leather-jacketed pack who resemble storm troopers - terrorize a town. Their emblem is a death's head and crossed pistons and rods, and Marlon Brando, in his magnetic, soft-eyed youth, is their moody leader. The picture seemed to be frightened of its subject - the young nihilists who say "no" to American blandness and conformity - and reduced it as quickly as possible to the trivial meaninglessness of misunderstood boy meets understanding girl (Mary Murphy), but the audience savored the possibilities, and this clumsy, naive film was banned and argued about in so many countries that it developed a near-legendary status.

Pauline Kael

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american audience ban black blandness boy clumsy conformity emblem film gang girl head image leader magnetic mary moody murphy naive nightmare outlaw pack picture possible say status storm subject town trivial understanding young youth meaninglessness motorcycle meets

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