The Last Movie

Dennis Hopper’s second film, released just after the cult classic Easy Rider, was a risky endeavour. Instead of a gritty storyline, American audiences were offered a non-linear collection of scenes, and instead of a clear countercultural message – a meta-reflection on the nature of cinema and an uncomfortable post-colonial perspective. The Last Movie is somewhat reminiscent of Aguirre, the Wrath of God except that the lands of Peru are haunted not by a crazed Klaus Kinski, but by a Hollywood film crew. From the very beginning, we follow the actions of Kansas (played by the director himself), a stuntman working on a western, who gets involved with a native-born woman. When the film set departs, the Peruvian locals begin to imitate the Hollywood production – but this time, on their own terms. Underappreciated at the time of its release, Hopper’s work continues to inspire today with its radical vision of cinema and kaleidoscopic frenzy of interweaving scenes.

Igor Kierkosz

Dennis Hopper (1936–2010) was an American actor and director. He made his screen debut alongside James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause (1955) and later specialized in playing disturbed outsiders in such films as Apocalypse Now (1979) and Blue Velvet (1986). He made his debut as a director with Easy Rider (1969), where he co-starred with Peter Fonda, and continued his directorial career with The Last Movie (1971) and five more features released between 1980 and 1994.