Easy Rider Movie Review

The journey cross-country is a hallmark, and stereotype, of the American experience. Americans are obsessed with coastal binary, the endless comparison between the East and West, perceived advantages and disadvantages of both. In Easy rider we see a journey cross country, but now it is West to East, signifying a shift in the American ideal, a new aera of sorts where the sons of former expansionists are now traveling to the East in search of new experiences and adventure.

This idea of the journey West to east implies that the West is no longer Wild, or has been commodified and turned into a commercial mecca, and urban sprawl that forgets its outlaw past. This theme of the Wild West runs through the entire film, from the frilly coats and cowboy hats to the motorcycles, to the protagonists' names, which allude to Billy the Kid and Wyatt Earp. But why, is the important question?

In American culture, cowboy image has long been associated with the outsider, outlaw, the one to which society does not compute and who is often rejected by those around them. In fact, in a global sense, the cowboy is largely representative of the stereotypical, "true" American, from John Wayne to George Bush.

But unlike the all-hat-no-cattle of George and John, Billy and Wyatt are true outlaws, so it is ironic that they would be killed in the South, where cowboys are often revered as true American heroes who embodied the rugged, tough, explorer mentality, skepticism of authority, and open-mindedness to new experiences. This role reversal shows the change in values for the American South, how the image of the outlaw has been twisted and no new thought is allowed. The film seems to imply that if Wyatt Earp and Billy the Kid were around today they would antagonized by the same people who consider them heroes and claim to admire their outlaw spirit.

But like the film says, its different to say to be for freedom then to actually live it, like Wyatt and Billy do. It is far more difficult to commit to the sometimes frightening ideals of complete freedom of speech, religion, and intellectual thought. It is important, as an American, to not follow the crowd, to not be pulled along with the smothering tide of Popular Culture. To be swayed and have your personal opinions dictated by mass media is no better than living in propaganda state like Communist China. The theme of the film is individuality and freedom. That is truly American.

Easy Rider is absolutely brilliant, and for people to dismiss it because its "about hippies" is a gross miscalculation and shows the decline in critical thinking in our current generation. But with awful music, insipid movies, and monotonous television culture continuously dumbing down our youth, it seems Easy Rider's message of individuality and freedom may be lost on a new generation.