I watched Hands on a Hard Body the other day. 1997 documentary about a yearly competition at a car dealership in Texas where the contestants have to keep at least one hand on a truck for as long as possible. The last person touching the truck gets to take that truck home.
It’s hard to get a read on the filmmakers’ intentions in a way I found compelling. I mean, they’re definitely editing for comedy; lots of funny cuts from contestants bragging about how they’ll never lose to shots of them bowing out. There are a lot of goofy touches where I’m not sure whether they were being ironic – The talking head interviews are shot in front of a green screen of a giant splayed hand. They interview some random psychologist about the contest and this guy gives this overwrought, almost Herzogian monologue where he imagines the contestants reaching a moment of transcendence through their connection with each other and the truck. It’s all very silly, but you can also feel a bit of desperation in some of these contestants. The film doesn’t seem interested in interrogating that, but I suppose that would take away from the breezy comedic tone that makes it so eminently watchable.
Some great characters here. I loved the guy they chose as their ‘lead’, a previous contestant winner who’s returned for round 2. He gives all these cod philosophical monologues about the contest and dispenses a lot of somewhat helpful endurance advice to the other contestants. He’s so charismatic in such a silly way.
Anyway, it’s an incredibly entertaining doc. I’d recommend it to anyone.
