By Nils Skudra
Recently I had the opportunity to watch The World’s Fastest Indian, a 2005 biographical sports drama starring Anthony Hopkins in the role of Burt Munro, an eccentric speed bike racer from Invercargill, New Zealand, who set multiple land speed records for motorcycles with engines less than 1,000 cubic centimeters at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah during the 1950s and 1960s. I felt this film would be a worthwhile topic for a review since the protagonist displays a variety of traits associated with the autism spectrum, which indicate that Burt Munro was likely autistic. Since Anthony Hopkins has Asperger’s Syndrome in real life, this lends greater realism and authenticity to the portrayal of an autistic character on screen, which is particularly critical considering the growing demand for representation of autistic protagonists by autistic actors today.
The film opens with the introduction of Burt Munro revving up 1920 Indian Scout motorcycle early in the morning, much to the irritation of his neighbors who complain about the noise that he is making. He seems totally oblivious to their complaints, insisting that he must complete the work on his motorcycle in preparation for his long-term goal of traveling to the U.S. and racing at the Bonneville Speedway. In addition, Burt displays a variety of other eccentric habits, including urinating on his lemon tree, not mowing his lawn, and using one of his garage tools to trim his toenails. He also fails to pick up certain social cues during conversations, taking statements at face value and acting upon them in bizarre and often comical ways. For example, when his neighbors complain that Burt’s un-mowed lawn is driving down local property values, he promptly sets the lawn ablaze, resulting in the arrival of the fire department.
Burt’s quirks are illustrative of the tendencies shared by many people on the autism spectrum since their minds inhabit a different neurological world, which can affect their social behavior in unique ways. These can include difficulties with social interaction, manifested in challenges with catching social cues or processing the import of other peoples’ statements, and pursuing one’s fixation on a particular topic of specialized interest. For Burt, this is reflected in his passionate love of motorcycle racing and his intensive focus on preparing his motorcycle for the Bonneville Speedway race in the U.S., despite his advanced age. Nonetheless, he enjoys the status of a folk hero in Invercargill for having the fastest motorcycle in New Zealand and Australia and for having been featured in the Popular Mechanics magazine, and the community is largely supportive of his desire to compete abroad.
Things take a turn for Burt, however, when he suffers a heart attack and is taken to the hospital, where he learns that he has angina. The doctors advise that he must take things easy and not race his motorcycle in order to maintain a normal heart rate, but he remains steadfast in his determination to compete at the Bonneville Speedway and ignores their advice, opting to take medication instead. With the support of his neighbors, he ultimately saves enough money to travel by cargo ship to the U.S., working his passage as a cook. During the voyage, he endears himself to the crew members, who appreciate his recipes and his friendly demeanor, despite his blunt outspokenness about the dangers of smoking. This tendency is also frequently found among people on the autism spectrum since they often lack social inhibitions and consequently will speak their minds very directly, which can sometimes alienate other people.
Upon his arrival in the U.S., Burt goes through the bureaucratic channels for having his visa approved, which he successfully accomplishes by telling the immigration officials that he is there to race his Indian Scout motorcycle at the Bonneville Salt Flats. However, as he travels through Los Angeles, he encounters the challenges of navigating the big city atmosphere, including dealing with a hostile taxi driver who refuses to give Burt recommendations on the best motels to stay in and insists on being paid nearly $30 for the ride. Upon arriving at the nearest motel, though, he quickly befriends the clerk, a transvestite named Tina (Chris Williams), who displays a warm and welcoming attitude. During their lunch together at a diner, Tina quietly admits to actually being a man, which Burt fully accepts. It could be argued that since Burt is considered eccentric by other people around him, he finds a certain commonality with Tina as someone with a divergent identity.
As Burt proceeds on his journey to Utah, he meets a wide variety of people who help him along the way, including highway police, a Native American man, a woman named Ada (Diane Ladd) who lends Burt her garage to repair his trailer, and an Air Force pilot on leave from Vietnam. Through each of these encounters, Burt touches the lives of the people he meets with his unique charm and his determination to fulfill his dream of racing at the Bonneville Speedway. Upon finally arriving at the Bonneville Salt Flats, he encounters unexpected obstacles due to not having registered his motorcycle in advance and not having the required safety equipment. But his refusal to give up, after having traveled halfway around the world, makes a profound impression on fellow racers and fans, who all pitch in so that he may compete. Through this support, Burt ultimately makes a successful timed run, setting a new land speed record of 201.851 mph, proving that his advanced age cannot prevent him from accomplishing his goals.
The World’s Fastest Indian is a deeply heartwarming film, characterized by a compelling, often humorous storyline and stellar performances. Anthony Hopkins delivers a superb portrayal of Burt Munro, brilliantly capturing his charm and eccentricities. This depiction thus lends credence to the likelihood that Munro was on the autism spectrum, to which Hopkins brings strong authenticity as a person with Asperger’s Syndrome himself. Furthermore, since there have been increasing demands for greater representation of autistic characters by actors on the autism spectrum, Hopkins’ performance provides an inspiring and empowering example of how this can be achieved. By watching this film, real-life autistic actors will hopefully be given the incentive to play autistic protagonists in upcoming films, bringing a greater authenticity and relatability to the depiction of autism in the film industry.
I am an artist on the autism spectrum. I received an MA specializing in Civil War/Reconstruction history at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, and I have been drawing hundreds of Civil War-themed pictures since the age of five and a half. I recently completed a secondary Master’s in Library and Information Sciences. As a person with autism, I have a very focused set of interests, and the Civil War is my favorite historical event within that range of interests. It is therefore my fervent desire to become a Civil War historian and have my Civil War artwork published in an art book for children. I am also very involved in the autism community and currently serve as the President/Head Officer of Spectrum at UNCG, an organization I founded for students on the autism spectrum. The goal of the organization is to promote autism awareness and foster an inclusive community for autistic students on the UNCG campus. The group has attracted some local publicity and is steadily gaining new members, and we shall be hosting autism panels for classes on campus in the near future.
