Easy Rider

Easy Rider (1969)

Directed by Dennis Hopper

Riding motorcycles all day. Sleeping under the stars at night. Smoking pot and snorting coke the entire time. This is the life of two bikers, Wyatt (Peter Fonda), a stoic and handsome man, and Billy (Dennis Hopper), a joker who is always high. The film presents the "free" lifestyle that these two guys live in a subjective manner. Hopper's approach seems spontaneous; it is as if the film has a will of its own. He is not afraid to use the zoom lens, there are numerous lens flares, and the edits are self-consciously abrupt and repetitive. All of these devices try to get us into the minds of these drug-addled characters. As such, the film itself is plotless and relies on various episodes and encounters to liven up the narrative.

After loading up on drugs and money, the bikers meander their way along the highway until they come across a hitchhiker, who leads them to a commune. The film drags - badly - at this point until Wyatt and Billy, arrested for riding into the Mardi Gras parade, meet George, a nerdy alcoholic who is played by a hilarious Jack Nicholson. The introduction of George breathes new life into the sagging narrative and also draws attention to the film's main theme - the ways in which mainstream society destroys individuals through forced conformity. Wyatt's apparel, with American flags painted on the helmet and sewn into his jacket, becomes an ironic joke that attests to his patriotism. After running into various southern rednecks who literally begin to destroy the bikers, Wyatt throws his patriotic clothing aside - he and his companions have been rejected by their very own country.

This theme of Americans attacking the wrong people - their own citizens - is interesting, but it is honestly given a superficial treatment here. Hopper gives equal importance and screen time to the mundane, everyday activities of the bikers. There are numerous shots of the bikers riding on highways with great songs playing over those images. The point is that these characters enjoy themselves most when they are free and on the road, but the sequences grow so repetitive and incessant that I have to wonder if Hopper was simply using these as an excuse to show off his great taste in music. The film's real joy stems from seeing the strange, episodic moments, in particular Nicholson's humorous UFO tale told by a fire pit and a wonderfully bizarre montage depicting Wyatt and Billy, who are on drugs, having sex with - or raping, depending on your interpretation - prostitutes in a New Orleans graveyard.

Rating: 7

First Viewed: 5/8/08

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