Hmm, not the movie I expected. From the helmet scene's fame I thought this was a light comedy.
Oops.
It's just about perfect though, for the tragic, psychadelic, maddening trip it is. I think it takes a bit to get going, but everything from the jail scene on is just about flawless. Fonda, Hopper, Nicholson prove their worth as some of the finest actors out there, with Jack being the standout (and what a breakout performance it is). It's stunning that even with the most famous face in Hollywood, while watching him in something like this, he still completley becomes George Hanson and you forget you're watching Jack. That's something I haven't seen in many other superstar actor performances. He probably should've won the Oscar that year.
The cinematography and editing is some of the best I've seen, I'm surprised Hopper's career as a director didn't blossom more than it did, this might be one of the top ten best directed films I've ever seen. It's a clinic.
I can't imagine a film defining that time period and that motor lifestyle in America better than what Easy Rider does, I mean I don't even know much about biker druggies and I KNOW this is dead on. Feels real. In a way I feel the whole thing represents more than just these bikers, it represents the death of that generation and the downfall of a way of life, what happens to these characters is all the more tragic for that.
And that ending... probably one of the best ever to go along with its shock.
Damn I've been giving away a lot of high grades lately. But this deserves it. Masterful stuff.
A
