Review of Easy Rider (1969) by Steff A — 03 Nov 2010

Talking about a movie that gets better with repeated viewings... It is the third time I'm watching "Easy Rider" and I have to admit that right now it is my favorite film. It is such a temptation to watch it again right now. But seriously such is the poignancy and power of this film that it's hard not to love it. Besides, I'm 17 at the time this review is written. How could I not be affected by such a tragic -basically- coming of age movie, that depicts the end of innocence in an innocent (?) time.

Captain America and Billy are two bikers. Two pushers. Two hippie-punks. Two rebels. Two easy riders. Out against the system like outlaw cowboys in the wildest time America faced since the wild west years. And like every self-respecting outlaw after getting the big loot (a cocaine deal in our case) they set to live the dream. Freedom on the open roads. Only the wind on their side and a road trip all the way to Mardi Gras crossing the whole country. A trip that would prove to be more of a life-changing experience than our two heroes could possibly imagine.

The story is really open for everything, like the vast landscapes of America. The thing that seperates "Easy Rider" from all the other biker movies of the time is the execution. By that, I don't mean only the directing, which is fantastic and one of the first heavily influenced by the french new wave, but also the way it was written and shot in general. Things were made on the spot and last minute ispirations or improvisations found their way to the final print. That was the element that made this film what it is. A collective auteurism, even while many were stoned, that made wonders. Living this movie before filming it was the turning point that launches it to its masterpiece status. The sincerity shows on celluloid. SImple as that.

As forementioned the cast was stoned. Many scenes were improvised and many lines were unintentional. Most of the characters are even played by non actors. And it works. It works because of what the picture wants to show. A gritty portrait of 60's America. Hippies are played by actual hippies and rednecks are played by actual rednecks. But the real actors were also amazing and absolutely natural. Kudos to Karen Black and Luke Askew for being perfect for their parts and delivering colourful but realistic characters. Kudos to Phil Spector for being such a natural! Of course the standout of any actor in the movie, including the amazing leads Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper, is Jack Nicholson. He is the catalyst, appearing right in the middle of the movie and disappearing just as fast. But still the honesty with which he handles his character puts the film in such perspective that... I simply can't imagine anyone else playing that character. He's as Jack as it gets.

In conclussion, this is the first and best indipendent movie. It is the best because it really had an indipendent spirit behind it. It shows the true spirit of America in the 60's. It doesn't glamourise bikers nor hippies and it certainly doesn't put any kind of sympathy on the hippies. It offers no apologies and rightly so. It is brutal and truthful. It isn't about the summer of love, it is about the puke after a hangover.