Hey, guys. I’m going to start a new series called Classics, in which I talk about classic movies and discuss whether they’re classics or if they’re overrated. We’ll start today with Easy Rider.
Before we start, I’d just like to say this is entirely subjective. Okay, let’s begin.
Easy Rider was released in 1969 and starred Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper, who also respectively Produced and Directed the movie. It’s about two hippies, Wyatt and Billy, who ride their motorcycles to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. On the way, they encounter communes, drug deals, acid trips, harassment, and Jack Nicholson.
When it came out, Easy Rider was a sleeper hit. It was made on a $400,000 budget and grossed $41 million in just the U.S. The film defined the hippie culture that was just emerging, and was hailed a revolutionary film by almost every critic and average moviegoer that went to see it. And it has been hailed a classic ever since.
But lately, critics and moviegoers alike have re-watched and re-analyzed the film and have come to the conclusion that it is overrated and really a film of it’s time. What used to be an undercurrent of hate is now a popular norm. If you look up “Dated Movies” on the web, almost every result has Easy Rider in it. But is the film really bad? Does it suck? Is it an overrated piece of garbage?
No.
The film is definitely dated, there’s no doubt about that. However, just because the film is dated doesn’t mean it’s bad. Films like Midnight Cowboy, The Graduate, The Terminator, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and Top Gun are dated, but they’re still good movies no matter what. Easy Rider still has many interesting avant-garde filmmaking techniques that are still used today by premiere filmmakers. For example, the infamous acid trip in the cemetery uses many strange techniques such as fish eye, overexposure, and sound overdubs to set the uncomfortable tone of the scene. It was revolutionary at the time and without it, filmmaking wouldn’t be the same.
Also, the performances by Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper have remained iconic in pop culture. They have been parodied many times in various forms of media. Even Jack Nicholson’s small role as alcoholic lawyer George Hanson has also remained memorable over the years. Plus, it kickstarted Nicholson’s career.
The film’s symbolism is also very sophisticated. Wyatt represents the American Dream and Billy represents freedom. When Billy (Freedom) is brutally gunned down at the end, Wyatt (American Dream) quickly perishes too. However, you never actually see Wyatt’s death, it is only implied. This means that while freedom is dead, the American Dream can always be saved. The end is also an homage to cliche westerns, for films like The Searchers and Stagecoach helped influence the western setting of the film.
So, there’s my analysis of Easy Rider. It’s definitely dated, but it still remains relevant not only in film, but in other forms of media. It truly is a classic.
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