Easy Rider starring Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson
Synopsis of the DVD Movie: Easy Rider starring Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson
Easy Rider (1969) is the late 1960s "road film" tale of a search for freedom (or the illusion of freedom) in a conformist and corrupt America, in the midst of paranoia, bigotry and violence. Released in the year of the Woodstock concert, and made in a year of two tragic assassinations (Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King), the Vietnam War buildup and Nixon's election, the tone of this 'alternative' film is remarkably downbeat and bleak, reflecting the collapse of the idealistic 60s. Easy Rider, one of the first films of its kind, was a ritualistic experience and viewed (often repeatedly) by youthful audiences in the late 1960s as a reflection of their hopes of liberation and fears of the Establishment.
The iconographic, 'buddy' film, actually minimal in terms of its artistic merit and plot, is both memorialized as an image of the popular and historical culture of the time and a story of a contemporary but apocalyptic journey by two self-righteous, drug-fueled, anti-hero bikers eastward through the American Southwest. Their trip to Mardi Gras in New Orleans takes them through limitless, untouched landscapes (icons such as Monument Valley), various towns, a hippie commune, and a graveyard (with hookers), but also through areas where local residents are increasingly narrow-minded and hateful of their long-haired freedom and use of drugs. The film's title refers to their rootlessness and ride to make "easy" money; it is also slang for a pimp who makes his livelihood off the earnings of a prostitute.
[The names of the two main characters, Wyatt and Billy, suggest the two memorable Western outlaws Wyatt Earp and Billy the Kid - or 'Wild Bill' Hickcock. Rather than traveling westward on horses as the frontiersmen did, the two modern-day cowboys travel eastward from Los Angeles - the end of the traditional frontier - on decorated Harley-Davidson choppers on an epic journey into the unknown for the 'American dream'. According to slogans on promotional posters, they were on a search:
A man went looking for America and couldn't find it anywhere.
Their costumes combine traditional patriotic symbols with emblems of loneliness, criminality and alienation - the American flag, cowboy decorations, long-hair, and drugs.]
Both Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper co-starred, Fonda produced, and 32 year old Dennis Hopper directed (his first effort). [It was produced by B.B.S. (formed by Bob Rafelson - the director of Five Easy Pieces (1970), Bert Schneider, and Steve Blauner), already known for the groundbreaking, surrealistic Head (1968), a cult masterpiece that starred the Monkees (from the popular TV series) and was co-written by unemployed actor Jack Nicholson.] Both Fonda and Hopper (and Jack Nicholson as screenwriter) had participated in Roger Corman's low-budget, definitive LSD film The Trip (1967) a few years earlier.
Easy Rider surprisingly, was an extremely successful, low-budget (under $400,000), counter-cultural, independent film for the alternative youth/cult market, with sex, drugs, casual violence, a sacrificial tale (with a shocking, unhappy ending), and a pulsating rock and roll soundtrack reinforcing or commenting on the film's themes. Groups that participated musically included Steppenwolf, Jimi Hendrix, The Band and Bob Dylan.
The pop cultural, mini-revolutionary film was also a reflection of the "New Hollywood," and the first blockbuster hit from a new wave of Hollywood directors (e.g., Francis Ford Coppola, Peter Bogdanovich, and Martin Scorsese) that would break with a number of Hollywood conventions. It had little background or historical development of characters, a lack of typical heroes, uneven pacing, jump cuts and flash-forward transitions between scenes, an improvisational style and mood of acting and dialogue, background rock 'n' roll music to complement the narrative, and the equation of motorbikes with freedom on the road rather than with delinquent behaviors. However, its idyllic view of life and example of personal film-making was overshadowed by the self-absorbent, drug-induced, erratic behavior of the filmmakers,
DVD Movie Rating for: Easy Rider
Rating for Easy Rider: 5 out of 5 stars
Movie Plot of: Easy Rider
A landmark in film history, EASY RIDER blew the studio doors open for more young directors than any film before or since, helping to create the wide-open climate that would lead to the production of many outstanding films in the 1970s. As its director, Dennis Hopper is usually given the lion's share of credit for the film's success, but the revelations of time suggest that the contributions of the late Terry Southern and, to some degree, Jack Nicholson have endowed the film with much of its residual power.
Starring Peter Fonda as Wyatt (alias Captain America) and Dennis Hoppe as Billy, it traces the hippie duo's adventures as they mount their seriously chopped hogs on a journey to find the real America en route to Mardi Gras. In Arizona, they visit a commune whose members are having a tough time, and in a small Texas town they're jailed for joining a parade. But they're quickly sprung by an ACLU lawyer, the quirky, hard-drinking George Hanson (Jack Nicholson), who accepts their offer to join them on the trip to New Orleans, eager to visit the best whorehouse in the South. EASY RIDER accurately reflects the tensions and hostilities of the period, Laszlo Kovacs's photography is superb, Nicholson is exceptional in his breakthrough role--and the startling, stunning ending is a shocker.
DVD Production Details of: Easy Rider
Starring: Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda, Jack Nicholson
Director: Dennis Hopper
Format: Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby
Aspect Ratio(s): 1.85:1
Audio Encoding: Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Studio: Columbia/Tristar Studios
DVD Release Date: March 16, 2004
Run Time: 95
Easy Rider DVD Extra Bonus Features
Available subtitles: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Thai, Chinese (Unspecified)
Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
Commentary by director and co-star Dennis Hopper
Making-Of Featurette: Easy Rider: Shaking the Cage featuring new interviews with Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and more!
Easy Rider French Laserdisc
Details of the French Laserdisc edition of Easy Rider: Gaumont, Columbia, RCA, PAL, AAD, French, Mono, LD-10005
Cast of the movie: Easy Rider
- Peter Fonda .... Wyatt
- Dennis Hopper .... Billy
- Jack Nicholson .... George Hanson
- Antonio Mendoza .... Jesus
- Phil Spector .... Connection
- Mac Mashourian .... Bodyguard
- Warren Finnerty .... Rancher
- Tita Colorado .... Rancher's wife
- Luke Askew .... Stranger on highway
- Luana Anders .... Lisa
- Sabrina Scharf .... Sarah
- Robert Walker Jr. .... Jack (as Robert Walker)
- Sandy Wyeth .... Joanne
- Robert Ball .... Mime #1
- Carmen Phillips .... Mime #2
- Ellie Wood Walker .... Mime #3 (as Ellie Walker)
- Michael Pataki .... Mime #4
- George Fowler Jr. .... Guard
- Keith Green .... Sheriff
- Hayward Robilard .... Cat Man
- Arnold Hess Jr. .... Deputy
- Buddy Causey Jr. .... Customer #1
- Duffy Lafont .... Customer #2
- Blase M. Dawson .... Customer #3
- Paul Guedry Jr. .... Customer #4
- Suzie Ramagos .... Girl #1
- Elida Ann Hebert .... Girl #2
- Rose LeBlanc .... Girl #3
- Mary Kaye Hebert .... Girl #4
- Cynthia Grezaffi .... Girl #5
- Colette Purpera .... Girl #6
- Toni Basil .... Mary
- Karen Black .... Karen
- Lea Marmer .... Madame
- Cathé Cozzi .... Dancing girl
- Thea Salerno .... Hooker #1
- Anne McClain .... Hooker #2
- Beatriz Monteil .... Hooker #3
- Marcia Bowman .... Hooker #4
- David C. Billodeau .... Man in pickup truck
- Johnny David .... Man in pickup truck
- Dan Haggerty .... Man in commune
- Randee Lynne Jensen .... Extra
- Carrie Snodgress .... Woman in commune
Photo Gallery of the movie: Easy Rider
Reviews of the movie: Easy Rider
As the archetypal 60's film Easy Rider sets the tone early on when Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper use the money from a drug deal to finance a cross-country bike trip. Representing anti-establishment figures the pair are alternately welcomed and despised as they make their way to the Mardi Gras, all because of their attitudes and clothing. The sweeping shots of Arizona's Monument Valley illustrate just how petty these human quarrels are and, yet, how important it feels to make a statement. With the first half of the film drawing to a close Peter and Dennis spend some time with a commune, mostly populated by city dropouts with no plan for the future either. It is only when the credits roll that we realise just what was lost when they found themselves drawn away from this atmosphere by the lure of the road.
After having been jailed for jumping on the back-end of a small town procession the story receives a spark of inspiration from the entrance of Jack Nicholson. Playing the part of an alcoholic, part-time lawyer Nicholson has similar dreams of New Orleans, only for him the focus is a top-class whorehouse. Still, hitching a ride with our 'easy riders' opens new vistas for Nicholson (most of them chemically fuelled) and his unfortunate untimely departure at the hands of a bunch of rednecks on a midnight visit. As a memorial Peter and Dennis continue onto their destination although they are too physically and emotionally drained to make much use of the brothel. At this point the movie starts to lose its way (reflecting the fact that these were actually the first, script-less, scenes shot) with an extended graveyard acid trip.
After leaving the Mardi Gras the ending comes quickly, in a shocking and brutal fashion. The intentional effect of leaving the viewer unfulfilled with revenge produces an overwhelming numbness and an inability to deal with the events which have come to pass. In summary, a startling film with a timeless soundtrack although be prepared for some padded-out moments.
