The Cavalier daily :: Friday, October 24, 1969 :: University of Virginia Library

It is fitting that "Easy Rider"
opened the same week that Jack
Kerouac finally left the road.
Kerouac, of course, has become a
kind of symbol of that burning
desire in each of us to just pack up
and go. Where? Who knows? Who
cares? Peter Fonda and Dennis
Hopper are the two Dean Moriaritys
who, filled with wanderlust,
ride off "looking for America." As
the advertisements have it, they
never find what they are looking
for. However, it turns out that the
fault is theirs America was there.
Captain America and his sidekick
Billy just did not believe it.

The two travelers finance their
excursion, which takes them from
L.A. to New Orleans, through the
purchasing and then selling of some
dope. This fact was glossed over by
Hopper, and I shall not be the one
to point a finger and exclaim "Hey,
that's not right, these two are not
the nice guys they are cut out to
be." Someone else may and he
could have a point.

Attractive Travelogue

In any case, Fonda and Hopper
make their transaction and split.
The audience is then treated to an
attractive travelogue, which, although
beautiful, becomes tedious after a
while as travelogues do. The songs are
the only source of relief. Steppenwolf's
"Born To Be Wild," and The
Band's "The Weight" are only two
examples of the exciting soundtrack.

After a brief stop at a commune
where Dennis Hopper gives the
viewer his first glimpse of an
outstanding acting "tour d force."
The two hips reach their first
encounter with the Southern
"Daily News" mentality. All is not
lost, however, as they run into
George Hanson, brilliantly played
by Jack Nicholson. This combination
lawyer, philosopher,
drunkard, and hick joins the two
travelers and makes them understand
the reason why they are
constantly persecuted, both
verbally and physically. "They are
afraid of your freedom," he says.
Although not a particularly heavy
idea, it satisfies Fonda, Hopper, and
the audience.

America Not Ready

It appears that America is not
ready for these long haired, grass
smoking freedom riders. To be
exact, it is not ready to accept. In
fact it is ready...with clubs and
shotguns. However, are Fonda and
Hopper ready for America? Are
they willing to accept it? To believe
it? It seems that their romantic
naivete prevents them from really
learning from America. To begin
with, the goal of the trip is to reach
New Orleans at Mardi Gras. When
they get there all will be groovy.
They will be free. Unsurprisingly
enough, all is not groovy even
though Hopper tries to convince
Fonda and himself otherwise.
Fonda's only reply is "We blew it."
You said it! You never had a
chance because your goal of total
freedom was from the start unattainable.
Unfortunately, Hopper,
the director, places the blame for
their failure on America, an
America where rednecks with
shotguns in their hands and sheriffs
in their towns shave the hair off
any hippie they encounter. Sure
there are rednecks. Yes, they hate
hippies. But this is not what
obstructs freedom. Life and man
himself is what confines everyone.
It is the fact that Fonda and
Hopper did not realize this which
prevents them from finding
America. This and Hopper's unfair
camera.

Spaced Out Saroyan

Dennis Hopper the actor is the
major source of enjoyment in the
film. Carefree, funny, vibrant Billy
makes "Easy Rider" a constantly
entertaining movie. Every gesture is
a source of enjoyment. He is a kind
of spaced out Jean Leaud or maybe
William Saroyan. He plays with the
children in the commune and gets
mud flung in his face. He boldly
flirts with the girls. He drinks some
booze and smokes a hell of a lot of
dope... all with accompanying
laughter. Hopper's character is a
fervent lover of life who possesses a
temper which the stolid, all
knowing Fonda, alas, lacks. He
laughs at life and in a final defiant
gesture tells fear and death to buzz
off. Kerouac would have loved him.

Entertaining And Interesting

Hopper the director brings his
points across effectively. But it
seems to me that his theme is
invalid from the start. Hopper the
actor succeeds in making "Easy
Rider" the interesting and entertaining
film that it is. Because the
actor's success outweighs the
director's failure, you should
without hesitancy go and enjoy
"Easy Rider."

(Now at the University)