After some time in Europe, where it was well received, the producers of Easy Rider finally released the film in New York on 14 July 1969.
It’s a surprisingly good film. And I’ve often wondered how it is that such a well-made film was made by this particular group of people. I think a big part of it is that Terry Southern provided a solid script. (I suspect that Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper should only have received story credit and it says a lot (bad) about the two men that they put their names above Southern’s.) And with Hopper starring in the film, the look of it is due mostly to the camera crew.
The film hasn’t aged well for me because of its portrayal of hippy culture. If I want a good vs evil narrative, I’ll go with Billy Jack.[1] But there is no doubt that the film still works. And the soundtrack is excellent.
There is an interesting thing about the acting. As soon as Jack Nicholson shows up on screen, Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda almost disappear. And I don’t say this because I’m some huge Nicholson fan. I don’t think he’s that good an actor. When he was on screen with Vincent Price and Boris Karloff, it was Nicholson who almost disappeared. So it doesn’t say much for these two Academy Award-nominated actors. (Both also got nominations for “writing” the Easy Rider screenplay.)
But I do appreciate it as a snapshot of the counterculture of the time. You see that especially in the campfire scene. I like the fact that they are actually doing drugs. And I love the fact that Nicholson goes on about the conspiracy theory about UFOs.
You should definitely watch Easy Rider if you’ve never seen it. And it’s even worth watching again if you have. Unfortunately, there are no good ways to watch the film for free. But there is a good enough print (VHS rip) on Archive.
[1] I’m not saying this isn’t accurate. In the early 1970s, I was with my family on a road trip through Texas and we stopped at a diner in a small town. My father is Portuguese and a little dark. Two good ol’ boys made many loud comments about my father and then followed our car out of town. It was terrifying. And the modern version of those bigots is a big part of the problems our country is facing today.
Easy Rider poster via Wikipedia under Fair Use.