Richie-67-485852
This movie captured the spirit of its time quite well and there are parts in it that live on from one generation to the next making it a movie to be seen so one can say: Yes, I saw Easy Rider. Lets be frank and clear here. Selling and buying drugs, getting high all the time, having no aim in life, and repeating it daily is not an Easy life, but an uneasy life leaving nothing to do or rewards to attain and in anyway. Its like being in a coma. Nothing gets done yet time passes. The characters have no depth but that plays into the moral of the story and subject matter (drugs). They become entertainment of the dysfunctional kind letting us see what it is like to live this life without actually doing it. Yet for the many that tuned in when this was released and afterwards, it is the way they live and believe so it remains sort of a cult example for all to relate and identify with. The plan in this movie was to get enough money and retire in Florida? What then? This is never answered before, during and after this movie. Interesting to note that the actual players ( I wont call them actors) in this movie were living this life not only off-screen but on it as they were doing drugs and plotting along aimlessly daily. The concept and theme that is more healthy to pursue and learn here is to work for a living, use your money wisely, develop character along the way and hope for the best. Life is like a gold mine where the mother lode is found often deep within and must be mined literally to reach it. This movie teaches the opposite. Be entertained but don't be tempted to make this your credo. Just treat it as...
framptonhollis
This famous 1960's cult movie made by some drug loving hippies at the height of their movement has somehow managed to stay baffling, entertaining, and surprisingly relevant in modern day America despite it containing various elements that are (quite obviously) outdated. "Easy Rider" is not only a historical artifact, it is an important and breathtaking work of cinema that is artistic, comic, tragic, and witty all at once.In recent years, "Rider" has faced its fair share of backlash from modern audiences and with good reason; despite my comments about its surprising relevancy, "Easy Rider" still very much is a product of its time...like, really, if this film were made today it could be considered some sort of subtle parody of the hippie movement because of how it is able to incorporate almost all of the hippie stereotypes into a 95 minute runtime and essentially verifying them. Many other complaints about the film deal with everything from it seemingly being pro-drug use to its bland characters, plot less approach, and overall loose, awkward structure and pacing. One could argue all of these points and be quite valid, but I have no choice but to disagree fiercely on all of these accounts (except maybe the pro drug one, but I'm the type of guy that has listed "The Birth of a Nation" among his favorite films of all time so evil intentions behind the screen do not remotely affect my opinion on a film a vast majority of the time). As a mater of fact, I believe that, despite its loose plot, this is one of the most well structured and paced films ever made. The way the episodic tale is told is brilliant in both its simplicity and overall engaging approach. Various characters are met and parted, fascinating discussions are had, amazing music is blasted, and tragedy almost always seems to strike. The characters are also pretty great, and, having rewatched this film a few times now, I find myself appreciating them more and more. Peter Fonda's character Wyatt works well as the lead, he is the sensible and sensitive partner of Dennis Hopper's unforgettably quirky and somewhat crazy (of course I use this term with lightheartedness) character Billy, and Jack Nicholson's George Hanson has become something of a legend. His performance is not only hilarious but essential in terms of the film's stability among the greatest of all time. Without Nicholson's character and performance, the movie would still be excellent but much less memorable, iconic, and...good! The weird, wonderful, and wacky George Hanson is the reason that this movie has received a 10/10 overall rating from me rather than a 9, he adds a whole new layer of comedy to the film, which helps increase the entertainment value as well as the weight of later, more tragic sequences (such as the *sniffle* ending) . He also spews much of the movie's finest lines, from the funniest quotes ( "Neh! Neh! Neh! Fuh! Fuh! Fuh! Indians."; at least, that's how the Quotes page on IMDb spells it!) to the most deep (I hate that word, but it applies here, no question about it) and brilliant ones ("I mean, it's real hard to be free when you are bought and sold in the marketplace. Of course, don't ever tell anybody that they're not free, 'cause then they're gonna get real busy killin' and maimin' to prove to you that they are. Oh, yeah, they're gonna talk to you, and talk to you, and talk to you about individual freedom. But they see a free individual, it's gonna scare 'em."). Of course, this film is FULL of amazing dialogue from everyone involved. The diner sequence is made both funny and intense due to the witticisms and insults thrown around, any sequence taking place around a fire at night is bound to have something quotable (everything from quotes like "I'm from the city... Doesn't matter what city; all cities are alike." to others such as "You're stoned out of your mind, man." (which is a line that pretty much applies to everyone involved in making this movie, not at all excluding those behind the camera)), and so on and so on. Even the various words that fly around and intersect throughout the famously trippy LSD sequence create something of a bizarre poetry. The LSD scene within itself is among the greatest and most surreal American movie moments of all time. I don't know whether it makes me want to do or avoid drugs, but what I do know is that it makes them seem like an...interesting experience. The camera angle and music and off screen dialogue create a collage of imagery and words that is disturbing, weird, and flat out AMAZING all at once. If that one segment were a standalone short film, I would probably give it the highest rating possible, it's just that good. Of course, practically EVERY scene in this movie is good! From the opening credits to the ending credits, everything is made unique and watchable all thanks to the incredible amount of effort and talent used by all of those involved. This radical and rebellious road trip across 1969 America is one of those films a movie buff cannot afford to miss, even if they'd probably hate it, it is something of essential viewing (not only is it a part of U.S. counterculture history, but it is also one of the films responsible for the great American New Wave movement that would continue throughout the seventies and early eighties). Personally, I find this movie to be absolutely astonishing and near perfect on every single level possible. It provokes thought, laughter, tears, and feeling, it is, simply, a miraculous masterpiece and, despite its outdated elements, it is ultimately one of those movies that, for me at least, never gets old.
