Easy Rider is a movie in which 3 men went on the road in an attempt to discover themselves and celebrate their freedom. While on the road, they encountered alot of problems. What is freedom? Do they ever truly find this freedom? Is anybody free nowadays and was anybody free in the 1960s? This movie somewhat embodies the way America reacts to challenges and change against conformity.
The beginnings of the movie were a little boring to me until my favorite little character came in Jack Nicholson as George Hanson. The name is horrible but I guess it fits the time. He’s a nerdy drunken lawyer and also the first to die. What I wonder is why he was the last person to join the free rebellious group and the first person to get killed off? I think Nicholson’s character kind of made me like him because he kinda symbolized an all American man who acheived Americans’ number one dream of being a football player, drinking his problems away, and being a wealthy man. He is exemplary of the all around American man because he displays this sort of pattern of hegemonic masculinity. Although he had all of those things going for him, he began to realize he wasn’t really sure what he was doing with his life so he fought to know more about the world hence the reason he joined the two bikers. That became somewhat Hanson’s own goal along with the others, to have their own rules and live by them whether against the law or not. He seemed to be the more calm and sane one and the most knowledgeable. But I guess we must revert to the “all good things come to an end” saying and just realize that he experienced peace, love, and happiness gone wrong.
After he was killed the only things that I can remember are the halluceinations of his buddy and their little females and them getting killed by being shot. This movie to me shows a carefree lifestyle which is what we all wish we could do nowadays. We wish we could go on with life without thinking or worrying about money or stressing over money. These 3 riders just ride along carelessly without a care in the world free from restrictions. Its hard nowadays to be free like that with the standards of living being so high and with so many people living to be so old that we have to support. I liked the background kinda played a part in explaining what was going on. I also enjoyed the songs because they were a little crazy. They kind of told the story. Even if there wasn;t any dialogue we’d know what was happening. The only problem I had with this movie is how slow it went. Other than that it was a good movie displaying these Americans’ goals to go on a hiatus from the worries of life.
