The Cruise

The Cruise is a 1998 independent documentary film directed by Bennett Miller. One of the initial successes in the independent documentary film realm, the film chronicles the life of the film's protagonist, Timothy 'Speed' Levitch. Levitch, an eccentric New York City bus tour guide, is not just an expert on the sprawling architecture and the multifaceted history of the city but also offers intriguing insights into the philosophy of life itself.

The film delves into the psyche of Timothy 'Speed' Levitch, a man who has shaped his life around the art of guiding tours around the city. Levitch, whose nickname 'Speed' reflects not just his walking pace but also his rapidly racing thoughts, is known for his unique and oftentimes whimsical interpretation of New York City. From his perspective, this city is not just a geographic location, but a wild, living being full of surreal stories and histories waiting to be told.

Shot in black and white, The Cruise beautifully captures the chaotic environment of New York City in the late 1990s. The film is unique in the sense that it has no specific linear narrative, and instead allows layers of Levitch's eccentric character to unfurl as he navigates the city and interacts with his tourists. We get to be a passenger on his literal and metaphorical journey as he expounds his fast-paced, poetic soliloquies on the essence of the places he traverses and the people he encounters.

Throughout the film, Levitch's passion for New York is on full display. His albuminous eloquence brings the city to life, letting us see its core through his eyes. It is through his offbeat anecdotes and quick wit that we come to understand the magnificence of New York's architectural majesty and cultural effervescence, as he points out things that are often overlooked, unnoticed, or just plainly ignored by the common observer.

Portrayed as an outsider and a nonconformist, we also get to see Levitch as a sensitive soul who craves connection and understanding. He reveals the complex sympathies he has for the city's seeming inanimate structures and shares his personal experiences of the profound interconnectedness between these structures, their history, and his own life.

Crucially, we get to witness Levitch's enthusiastic "cruising" philosophy. He uses 'The Cruise' as a metaphor for living life on one's own terms, unperturbed by social norms and conventions. His belief in the continuous journey of exploration, discovery, and understanding the ever-changing realities of life forms the crux of his philosophy. The tour bus, we learn, is his platform, a stage for his spectacle, where he gets to express his unique interpretations of the world around him.

The Cruise is more than just a tour around the streets of New York City; it's a voyage into the psyche of an individual who embraces his uniqueness with unabashed exuberance. The film relays a sense of a joyous journey - a journey of one man's personal and philosophical exploration that presents to its audience a vicarious experience of connection and revelation.

The documentary is not only a tribute to Levitch's passion but also paints a detailed canvass of New York's evolving identity in a compelling, humorous, and humane way. This tour through Levitch's viewpoint is no ordinary one - it's a philosophically resonant eco-tour through the heart of urban nature, guided by the unique vantage point of an individual who perceives the city as an expansive garden sprouting architecture rather than trees.

The Cruise, hence, is an illuminating example of a film character study. It vividly captures the pursuits of an artist fiercely in love with his subject, which to him is the city, its architecture, and the essence pit within. Full of quirkiness and wit, elegance and chaos, the film is an emotional and psychological joyride that not only reflects on the city's countless narratives but also on the very interpretation of life itself. The Cruise, with all its eccentricity and charm, unpeels the magic of exploring the world through our own unique narrative lenses.