Review of Easy Rider (1969) by Stuart K — 08 May 2012

The one little film that did. This was the film, which for a meagre budget of $360,000 which apparantly saw out the old Hollywood regime of dated comedies and big overblown musicals, and the beginning of the well-intended but ultimately ill-fated "New Hollywood" era.

It's still a brilliant time piece all these years later, and it sums up the disappointment of the counter-culture generation of that time, like the other productions by BBS showed. This little biker flick is a simple road movie about Wyatt (Peter Fonda) (also known as Captain America) and Billy (Dennis Hopper), who do a spot of drug-smuggling from Mexico, then sell the cocaine to The Connection (Phil Spector).

Then, with the money they've earned from the drugs deal, head off across America from California to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. Along the way, they pick up a hitchhiker (Luke Askew), who takes them to a hippy commune.

Later, after they interrupt a town parade, they're thrown in jail and they encounter and befriend boozy lawyer George Hanson (Jack Nicholson) who, sick of his position in life, comes along with them for the ride.

A powerful statement on 60's America, with nice cinematography of the American landscape by László Kovács, with a brilliant soundtrack. Hopper directed and Fonda produced and they both co-wrote with Terry Southern, while Nicholson stole the show with his cameo, and it's still a powerful film now as it was back then.