Dazed and Confused-Richard Linklater’s Loose Ode to the Final Days of Adolescence

With Dazed and Confused, Richard Linklater perfected the loose style he showcased in Slacker. The lack of a plot for most of the movie is no issue when the characters are as charming as they are. It makes watching these characters as they hang out, drink, smoke weed, and get into all kinds of mayhem so incredibly entertaining. The film also isn't entirely lacking in a plot either, as throughout the film, it does feel like it's building up to the big party at the moon tower at the end. It gives the story a larger sense of direction than most other films with this hangout structure. 

It also helps that Richard Linklater has a firm understanding of these teenage characters. Every conversation, from the relatable to the odd, feels like the authentic conversations of genuine teenagers. It makes so much of the film into an incredibly authentic portrait of adolescence: the excitement, the rebellion, and the feeling that the adults around you dictate each facet of your life. 

Linklater's direction also helps provide this very lived-in atmosphere to the film. From the long takes to Linklater's trademark "Walk-and-talk" style, it creates a portrait of 1970s Texas that feels so lived in and real. It's all aided by a pitch-perfect soundtrack, with each needle drop perfectly suiting each scene. 

It all makes Dazed and Confused into a film that perfectly captures the specific time and place of 1970s Texas while providing a universal and relatable look at adolescence. Linklater's loose style, in which you watch these characters mess around and chat with each other for most of the runtime, works like a charm, no matter how often I watch the film. Dazed and Confused, in its hangout vibes and endearing conversations, becomes one of Linklater's most enjoyable films. Watching these characters live life their way and ignoring what the adult characters tell them also secretly makes it one of his most comforting and life-affirming.

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