Blinded by the Light is a Heartland award winning film directed by Gurider Chadha that is set in Margret Thatcher’s England in 1987. The protagonist is Javid, a 16 year old Pakistani boy who struggles with pleasing his parents and his dream of becoming a writer. It features some of Bruce Springsteen’s greatest hits along with scenes filled with emotion, tension, love, and hope.

Javid meets a boy named Roops who gives him two cassette tapes of “the Boss”. Intrigued, Javid listens to them and is captivated by Bruce’s hard truths about life, love, and everything in between. As the movie goes on Javid faces oppression because of his race and religion. One of the best scenes  occurs when Javid and Roops break into radio studio and play “Born to Run”.  This scene is especially moving because it features one Pakistani, one Sikh, and a feisty civil rights activist belting the famous lyrics, “Tramps like us, baby we were born to run!” Signifying that Bruce connected with the outcasts by his lyrics. Javid and his friends were the outcasts of the outcasts.

I love this movie for many reasons. For one, I am a huge music fan no matter the genre. Also my dad is a huge Bruce fan and I saw the movie with him, he gives me insight to what Bruce’s songs mean and when he wrote them. I loved this movie because of its spot on portal of a fan. Being a fan to a band or artist is more then looks or appearance, its about what the lyrics mean to you. I also loved this movie because of the retro clothes and use of  using the famous artists songs to explain how Javid is feeling. Overall you don’t have to be a avid Bruce follower to fall in love with this movie,  all you need is a love of music and cinematography.