MUBI

(Originally written May 20, 2006)

“If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.”

Easy Rider acts as a time capsule of the 1960s, representative of the decadence and confusion of the era. Although it captured the essence the era and influenced the world of independent cinema, the film is now tragically dated. The first half of the film meanders and frequently loses its focus. Instead capturing the beauty of American highways, Easy Rider’s first half feels like a slideshow of a summer road trip or a music video. This supposed celebration of carelessness and “freedom” in the first half of the film is hardly cinematic and often uninteresting.

Then Jack Nicholson hits the screen—a different movie begins.

His character, a drunken lawyer, puts corrupt lawyers and wasted hippies on an even playing field. Nicholson’s performance has a sense of humor and playfulness that frees the movie. The second half of the film is morally complex, questioning the characters’ values, or lack thereof. The haunting drug trip provides a sick portrayal of the effects of drugs. Peter Fonda’s character’s detachment at the whorehouse indicates the emptiness of the hedonism of the 1960s. The ending of the film is extremely tragic, particularly powerful because of an image flashforward earlier in the film. The final scene puts the rest of the film in a larger context: these characters can only find pleasure when disconnected from the troubles of the rest of the world. This film definitely has these moments of true beauty, but there are not enough to make this a good movie.