Review of Easy Rider (1969) by Michael C — 18 Nov 2009

When I first heard references and discussion about this film, it sounded like a film that would be interested for approximately 20 minutes and then would feel very dull. A movie about two guys and an ACLU lawyer riding on bikes through the South? Not my idea of brilliant fillmmaking based on premise alone.

But don't judge a movie on its premise, or you can miss out on a gem like Easy Rider. This is an independent film that managed to have much more of an artistic sensibility than most indie films had at that time, and it brought a whole new cultural outlook to film.

The film was obviously influenced by the French New Wave, with its great artistic use of jump cuts and the fact that it didn't adhere to strict storytelling conventions, but the sensibilities and attitude of the film is purely American.

The film provides a fascinating snapshot of a movement that was ready to progress, and ultimately were destined to fall from the beginning despite their intentions. And I still maintain that it seems unlikely to me that Dennis Hopper really directed this film on his own.