Easy Rider, a complex story built upon male bravado, proves to be an important independent film. The fledgling Filmmaker, Peter Fonda, had much to prove. Not only to himself as he stepped away from the iconic structure of Hollywood, so embraced by his father Henry and sister Jane, but also to the previously forced system attempting to reconstruct itself as new American cinema. 1969 proved the true end of many idealistic frameworks in American life and film couldn’t help but react to this reality.
Subculture became a viewpoint to reckon with through writing such as Hunter S. Thompson’s “Hells Angels”, women based magazines like “Ms.” as well as films from Fonda,Hopper, Van Peebles, Romero and Bogdanovich. An all encompassing view of life pushed forward on film. The Hollywood system died and a path was yet unclear for telling an outsider’s story so filmmakers made it up as they went along. Regardless of angle or genre, the new American cinema wanted to tell the every day story. A personal yet post modern bit of life not yet labeled. The back story was not as important as the present moment. Filmmakers Hopper and Fonda were not trying to create a movement but to capture a single feeling in its most current position.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.