On July 4 I was looking for an American story and found one in the star spangled gas tank and helmet of Captain American in Easy Rider. And its a darker look at America that is typical.
Wyatt (Peter Fonda) and Billy (Dennis Hopper) set off on a motorcycle road trip after scoring a bundle on a drug deal. They "head out on the highway" with the money concealed in the gas tanks. This modern day pony express route takes them from L.A. to New Orleans and further east. We're not quite sure where they are going. Maybe they aren't either.
Passing through the old west, we have several mashups of these modern day cowboys interacting with the old cowboys: Changing a tire/changing a horseshoe, taking in the scenery of Monument Valley (that most iconic old west location), meeting the frontier families.
As they pass further south, they meet up with George (Jack Nicholson) who serves as a guide of sorts to the dark side of Small Town America. Its another contrast of this American footballer v. the cyclists. This rises the tension to a Deliverance level as they go through and are chased out of various places.
They wind up fittingly in New Orleans where there is a nice dream/nightmare sequence which kind of fits the 60s vibe. Most of the movie there is a sense of foreboding that a change is in the air. A strength of the movie is how the story is pushed along by the nice cinematography by Lazslo Kovacs. The proverbial Road to Nowhere.
* * 1/2 of 4
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