Review of Easy Rider (1969) by Tom B — 06 Jan 2013
Last time I saw this one was in the Seville Theater in Montreal before it burned down. Two or more decades later and they're finally turning it into fancy condos. The Seville Condos. And when I saw it I didn't like it, man.
I didn't get it, you know? But I get it now, man. The great American divide. I probably didn't like it so much back then because I was so stoned, man, and it's a bit of a slow movie, because it's all about being stoned.
The whole theater was stoned. There was smoke everywhere in that theater. Saw Song Remains The Same there, and Eraserhead, and midnight showings of The Exorcist and Rocky Horror Picture Show. There were always a dozen or more joints going at once in that place.
No wonder it burned down. But Easy Rider, man, it really does rise above a lot of the others. I mean, where are you going to find another movie with Peter Fonda explaining to Jack Nicholson what the word "Dude" means as though it was a brand new word? And I, of course, didn't get one thing about the western side of it at the time, riding through John Ford country and discovering the one side of America that didn't like the other side, the kill-the-different-ones side of America.
The great American divide, man. And Kovacs defining cinematography. The look of the era, man. It's beautiful. It's what I thought I wanted to live when I was growing up. I'm glad I became what I am, but I probably love freedom more than ever.
Free to be, you and me, babe. Rock on.
This review of Easy Rider (1969) was written by Tom B on 06 Jan 2013.
Easy Rider has generally received very positive reviews.
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