Easy Rider

by Lee Hill

Released in 1969, Easy Rider broke the mold of Hollywood studio production, making stars of Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Jack Nicholson and launching a new wave of radical and experimental American cinema. Easy Rider was one of the crucial films of the late 60s, a film that enshrined the ideals of the counterculture but also foresaw the demise of these ideals in the despair and paranoia of a nation rocked by Watergate and the Vietnam War. It was a seminal road movie and a massive financial success that spawned endless imitations. Few films since have been able to catch its particular blend of innocence and cynicism, hope and despair.
In his meticulously researched book, Lee Hill analyzes both the circumstances surrounding the making of Easy Rider and the social and cultural forces that found expression in it. Hill persuasively argues that the role of illustrious screenwriter Terry Southern in Easy Rider has been neglected as the exact circumstances of production, filming, and editing have become lost in mythmaking. Referring to little known archival material, Hill questions some of the legends that surround Easy Rider .

Genres: Film, Nonfiction

80 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1996

Reviews

[Michael Bohli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lee Hill untersucht mit dem Essayband "Easy Rider" die Entstehung und Wirkung des Kultfilmes, der bis heute fasziniert und Menschen von einer anderen Gesellschaft träumen lässt. Auf weniger als 100 Seiten wird der Film in den zeitlichen und sozialen Kontext eingebettet, die Beteiligten vorgestellt und das Vermächtnis im Filmschaffen und beim Genre Road Movie erläutert.

Das ist immer angenehm zu lesen und der Autor scheut sich nicht davor, die Mängel von "Easy Rider" und die Schattenseiten der Personen und Entstehung zu beschreiben. Eine gelungene Lektüre, die Lust macht, tiefer in die Welt des "New Hollywood" einzutauchen.

[Sophy H · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was just okay in terms of the BFI film classic series.

I found nothing new or revelatory about the film or its making, nor did I learn much about its reception.

I actually love Easy Rider, particularly Jack Nicholson's Venusian speech round the campfire and his "nick nick swamp", "nick nick firecracker" outbursts!! This book doesn't do the film much justice at all.

A pretty average and at times boring read, and certainly not a keeper.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a film this heavy and revolutionary, Lee's analysis on it feels just a little too light. Everything he writes is interesting, and some of his points run deep into the roots of the film's production, but this almost seems like an excerot out of a much more dtailed story. Everyone knows the trouble Hopper, Fonda and the rest of the crew faced while making this film, and Lee does come through in pointing out the disasterous qualities of the film right along with the wonderful ones. This would work best as an introduction for newcomers to the movie and to the important changes Hollywood undertook in 1969.

[Untimely Gamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good discussion of Easy Rider. Lee Hill cuts through the bullshit concerning the authorship of the movie (a cloud of distortions that a book like Easy Riders, Raging Bulls gets caught up in) and has both illuminating praise and pointed criticism of the movie. The author definitely has a POV, and that's nice to see in a series that mostly provides basic introductions to the movies they cover.

[Jeff Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy Rider is a great film, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this BFI book on it, but in many ways it left me wanting to read more...

With so many influences on its making (beyond that of Hopper and Fonda) the film could have been so many different versions...and the description of footage either not used, or not even filmed, really makes you wonder what else it could have been. However, the final vision as released wouldn't work with such a mix of visions...it's perfect for what it is, it just could have been something else.

I really enjoyed the deeper examination and importance of the George Hanson character and what he, and ultimate fate, represented.

A good read, but really it just made me want to watch the film again...which isn't a bad thing at all.

[Bill Fish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing how complete chaos resulted in one of the greatest American made movies of all time.

[David Sterritt]

I’ve been fond of “Easy Rider” since it was new, and Lee Hill’s book on the film is admirably balanced, if not always completely accurate. It’s a smooth film-historical ride.