Easy Rider

Saw Easy Rider, a difficult film that I feel encapsulates the spirit of 1969 (I didn't live through this era of course, so I have no real idea of what I'm talking about but anyway) The plot follows these two guys as they travel across the country from LA to New Orleans, trying to get to Mardi Gras. They are nomadic, cowboy-like, sleeping outdoors and always on the go. Along the way, they see various sedentary life styles, but this is not for them. They drive through a hippie commune which is idyllic in an outdoorsy, kindergarten-ish kind of way. They also drive through a Louisiana town populated only by giggling girls and fat scowling men. At one point a character explains that what people don't like about them is that they are too free (obviously) but is this "freedom" a quest for self-fulfillment? Or is it just empty hedonism?

The two protagonists seem to embody these two approaches to "freedom." One is stoic and introverted, enjoying the austere but relaxed atmosphere of the commune. The other is carefree and ebullient but recognises the extreme responsibility that the commune represents. He wants to get on to the exciting chaos of Mardi Gras. But the film is sly: at the very beginning there's a farm that they admire. Could it be that this respectable simplicity is what they're after but that they are also, ironically, speeding away from?

I found this dilemma to be a bit tiresome. I am one of those bought and sold people that they talk about so derisively. I feel that if I were brave (or perhaps stupid) enough, I would spend most of my time playing games, watching movies, and maybe reading but then how would I pay rent? Anyway this feels kind of vegetable to me. I feel if I'm not goaded to it, I won't achieve anything. However this is not a tragedy perhaps.

In addition to the preoccupations of the story, the film has a very interesting visual style. Scene transitions are done by flicking back and forth for a few cuts before proceeding with the new scene. The colors are also very strange (or the Nevada desert really does just look like that) There's also a sequence near the end that's very neat. Also the soundtrack is great. An interesting film in general. I thought I wouldn't like it but I did more or less. Not my favorite film but it deserves the praise it gets.