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...
Bella
Easy Rider (1969) is an Adventure/Drama film about two counter-culture hippie bikers travelling from Los Angelos to New Orleans in search of America starring Peter Fonda as Wyatt and Dennis Hopper as Billy. I found this film to be entertaining and mostly because it had so many downright hilarious moments. One of the best actors in Easy Rider is definitely Dennis Hopper. He portrayed his character in his authentic and hilarious manner. I did find that the songs went on for a really long time and did not really add much to the plot, though they were enjoyable songs which went along well with the theme and showed the two men on their travels. The movie was great throughout, but I found that the last 30 minutes were the most enjoyable and really conveyed what the movie was meant to be. Overall, Easy Rider is a great film about motorcycles, sex, and drugs for adults to enjoy.
willwoodmill
Easy Rider was one of the biggest surprises I ever had (the biggest being George Washington), it was not at all what I expected. I was expecting a cult comedy, somewhere along the lines of Airplane! or The Big Lebowski. One thing I was not expecting was the film to send me into a melancholic depression, with tears in my eyes. Easy Rider is a perfect example of "New Hollywood" Cinema, a movement that started in the mid 60s and typically focused on more taboo subject matters, and had much darker protagonists. Easy Rider meets both of these qualifications, as it is about two drug dealing, pot-head, biker, hippies, that after making a big drug deal in California, try to drive all the way to New Orleans in just a few days for Mardi Gras, while simultaneously trying to find the American Dream. As they meet different people and camp in old ruins. The film was co-written by its leads, Dennis Hooper, (who also directed it), and Peter Fonda. It was also produced by Bob Rafelson, who was a key figure in the New Hollywood movement, and stars another key figure, Jack Nicholson, who starred in several major New Hollywood films (Five Easy Pieces, Chinatown, One a Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, etc). Jack Nicholson gives the best performance in the film, which is pretty impressive feat, because they're all great and noteworthy, and he doesn't come in until halfway through the film. Jack Nicholson plays the character of George Hanson, a drunk in a small town with some pretty crazy theories about the government. But before we meet George Hanson, our protagonists have already traveled with several other colorful individuals that bring their own philosophy. Some of the best scenes in Easy Rider, are the camp fire scenes, where after a long day of biking the characters will just sit down and talk for 3-5 minutes, before going to bed. And the conversations they have during these scenes are some of the best written dialogue I have ever heard in any film ever, I don't won't to spoil any of the conversations for anyone who hasn't seen the film, but when you get to these campfire scenes, get ready for pure gold. One thing that isn't so good in Easy Rider is a montage that happens towards the end of the film, the idea is fine by itself, but goes on so much longer than it needs to that it just comes of as forced, but that's a small thing in an otherwise great film. Easy Rider is one of those films that has huge potential to change someone's life, like Ikiru or The Graduate, something that just is filled with some many emotions, and lessons, something that sticks with you long after you've finished watching it, and gets better the more you think about, something that will not only forever change the way you look at cinema, but the way you look at life. 9.3/10
SnoopyStyle
Wyatt (Peter Fonda) and Billy (Dennis Hopper) smuggle drugs across the border from Mexico. After selling their haul in LA, the set off on their bikes for New Orleans and Mardi Gras. They aren't allowed to stay at a roadside motel. On the other hand, they are received warmly by a friendly farmer. They pick up an old hippie hitchhiker who invites them to stay at the commune. They join in a small town parade and are arrested. They befriend George Hanson (Jack Nicholson) spending time in the drunk tank who turns out to be an ACLU lawyer.Dennis Hopper directs a counter-culture icon to shake up Hollywood. It's mostly a meandering road trip. The flash edits are experimental and kind of annoying. Then there are moments of great dramatic tension like the guys walking into a small town diner. Those kinds of scenes elevate the movie and there is the great music. There is also an energy of immediate realism like when they walk around during Mardi Gras. This is a compelling watch and an important one.
