Easy Rider (1969)

Wonderful Movie

Waste of time

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

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and surprisingly relevant in modern day America despite it containing various elements that are (quite obviously) outdated.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.

The dictionary meaning for the word 'cult'can be best described as "an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, especially as manifested by a body of admirers." The film centres around two bikers, Wyatt and Billy who travel across America on the highways and byways of sixties America with an open mind. They meet hostility, attract admiration, love and ignorance but above all the memories of a road trip in what was a truly amazing time across the world when young people dropped out, tuned in to a different vibe, transforming art, music, love, cinema and indeed society. 'Easy Rider'arguably captures the spirit of the Sixties, you have to watch the film with a few friends with the lights low and the sound up, revel in the drugs, the music and the great story line which will blow your mind and preconceptions away.

This movie had been on my to-watch list for many years but figuring it was just some cool but shallow movie about 60's bikers I put it off till I wanted to watch something very laid back. This is one of the best movies I've ever seen because it addresses issues that we still struggle with today and it shows America's natural beauty and human ugliness. It's social commentary and I was not expecting it to be so insightful. Sure, there are stoner moment and trips and hippies, but that was part of the 60's and everything is shown for what it is instead of it all being romanticized.A character in the movie says something that is very much true today: people say they want freedom but they're scared of it when they see it. Most people have the wrong idea about what freedom really is and they're indeed terrified when they see it.Everyone should watch this movie, especially young people.

I could never understand why a film about two anti-society hippies on chopper bikes going across America taking real drugs doing a whole lot of nothing became should become such a revered and awarded film. But now I do. Now that I've actually seen the film, I understand completely...This counter-culture masterpiece embraces ideals, expressions and feelings that simply were not (and still today are not) generally revealed in Hollywood movies. Feelings of freedom and life and standing out whilst everyone else sits afraid, of going for that 'big score' to find out how you to want to live your life and of defiantly standing your ground against the established order. The great majority of this is successfully expressed through Hopper's debut direction. It is at times I feel clunky and overtly stands out as work that is inexperienced, but despite that it matches the tone and messages that should be conveyed within the work almost perfectly. The iconic and tragic ending came as a total surprise to me. Not for a long time have I been so shocked by the ending of a film that I sat staring in complete silence at the screen until the song ended and the DVD reverted back to the menu. A great film with amazing spiritual and physical values that leaves me with no doubts why it did indeed influence and inspire many more works that came after it.