Easy Rider (1969)

Having made several motorcycle pictures before this one, Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper approached American International Pictures to fund Easy Rider, but they were turned down by studio chiefs who felt there was no longer any money to be made on biker films. Later, however, Fonda and Hopper were able to persuade Columbia to invest a few hundred thousand dollars in their little movie, and the rest is cinematic history. Potent, powerful, and poignant, this landmark film proves that you don't need big names or a big budget to make a great movie.

Synopsis: Elusive freedom Easy Rider is a moralistic tale of two men searching for an elusive freedom they can never attain. Wyatt (Fonda) and Billy (Hopper), a pair of hippie motorcyclists, make a dope deal with Phil Spector (the famed rock 'n' roll producer) in order to finance a trip to New Orleans, where they hope to arrive in time for Mardi Gras. On the way, Wyatt and Billy are rebuffed at various motels because of the duo's way-out appearance, so they camp out, smoke dope, and talk a lot. The open road Stopping at a ranch to repair their bikes, they have a lovely dinner with the rancher Warren Finnerty and his wife Tita Colorado, then pick up a hitchhiker, Jack (Robert Walker, Jr.) and take him back to his commune, where they become involved in sun-drenched revelry.

Itching to hit the road, Billy insists they leave. In a small Texas town, they come across a large, squeaky-clean parade. But when they join the procession, Wyatt and Billy so infuriate the locals that the two are tossed into the clink for parading without a permit. At this point Jack Nicholson makes his first appearance, and the picture really takes off. An alcoholic lawyer who specializes in civil rights cases, George (Nicholson) is in jail sleeping off a drunken binge. He, Wyatt and Billy become fast friends, and the young lawyer uses his connections to help the bikers out of their jam. Later, Wyatt and Billy invite George to join them on their journey to the Crescent City, and he decides to go along, having always wanted to see the House of Blue Lights bordello.

Fatal hostility: En route to New Orleans, the trio bed down near the highway, and George smokes his first joint, which prompts him to share his tongue-in-cheek theory that Venusians have already landed on Earth and occupy several important posts. In the morning, the three visit a small restaurant, and the hostility of the other customers nearly pours off the screen. That night, while camping out, the trio is attacked by a group of local rednecks, who kill George and leave Billy and Wyatt badly beaten. Eventually arriving in New Orleans, Billy and Wyatt decide to visit the House of Blue Lights brothel in honor of their dead pal, but neither the festive air of Fat Tuesday nor the hookers can bring the two out of their depression. Accompanied by two whores (Karen Black and Toni Basil), Wyatt and Billy take LSD in a nearby cemetery. After this bad trip, Wyatt and Billy return to the road. Two locals (Johnny David and David C. Billodeau) pass the duo in a pickup truck and take aim at the bikers with shotguns. When Billy and Wyatt respond by giving them the finger, David and Billodeau shoot Billy in the stomach, then catch up with the fleeing Wyatt and blow him off the road. Critique Much has been written about EASY RIDER; almost every critic raved about its accurate depiction of American life at the time.

This landmark film was the beginning of a "small picture" revolution that may have contributed mightily to the art of movies for many years after. Easy Rider was primitive in many ways, but there was no mistaking the talents or the intent of the people behind it, an indictment of the way things were and an attempt to alter them with art. Nicholson's performance is outstanding, and his is the film's most developed character. Black, appearing in her third feature, is also very impressive. The next year she would work again with Nicholson in FIVE EASY PIECES (1970), earning an Oscar nomination. Awards Not only was EASY RIDER a box-office bonanza, but it breathed new life into the career of former B movie actor Nicholson, who received an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor. The screenplay—by Hopper, Fonda, and Terry Southern—was also nominated.

Cast:

Performer, Character

Peter Fonda, Wyatt

Dennis Hopper, Billy

Antonio Mendoza, Jesus

Phil Spector, Connection

Robert Walker Jr., Jack Robert Ball

Jack Nicholson, George Hanson

Karen Black, Karen

Production Credits:

Producer, Peter Fonda

Director, Dennis Hopper

Screenwriters, Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, andTerry Southern

Editor, Donn Cambern

Cinematographer, Laszlo Kovacs

Special Effects, Steve Karkus