few director have succeed in create a truly personal cinematic poetry of their own . most simply do not strive towards artistic endeavor of this type . gus van sant be one of few of his generation with the ability and talent and desire . have realise this vision early on in his career with my own private idaho he abandon this quest and opt for mainstream acceptance and not to mention commercial success . two lane blacktop and monte hellman elegiac ode to existential despair be set in the milieu of drag car racing . the mood and image transmit the inner essence of the character rather than what they willingly reveal of themselves . the potency lie in what be not speak and what be not show . hitchcock comment on how true horror be create not by show the audience fearful image and but rather by u induce to form such image in our own mind . hellman choose not to depict despair a la bergmann with endless articulate monologue plumb emotional depth . the driver ( taylor ) and the mechanic ( wilson ) barely speak and and when they do you can be sure it about car engine . g. t. o . ( oates ) have much to say and but he articulate the delusion which keep his despair at bay . the one time he begin to reveal the truth of life story and taylor cut him short . soul search have no place in two lane blacktop and it would be break the silent agreement that what count be car and race . taylor brief proposal to laurie bird of find peace in florida be touchingly poignant . for all her hippiness and she have an acute sense of her own survival and effortlessly transfer her affection to the most promising man of the moment and ultimately leave with a biker on the basis of a mere glance in a diner . the fact that both james taylor and dennis wilson in the lead be not actor somehow have no detrimental effect at all . they be not call on to act a such and their dialogue be sparse . taylor in particular have an effective blend of tenderness with a touch of crazed obsession about him . warren oates and the only real actor and a hellman favorite turn in a powerful performance . two lane blacktop make for a companion piece with frank perry play it a it lay and make around the same time . both essay existential despair and both be cinematic rarity that should not be miss .