Easy Rider in 2020: Born to Be Dead Spoiler Alert, the Film Representing the Peaceful and Free 60S Counterculture Ends on a Grim Note

EASY RIDER IN 2020: BORN TO BE DEAD SPOILER ALERT, THE FILM REPRESENTING THE PEACEFUL AND FREE 60S COUNTERCULTURE ENDS ON A GRIM NOTE. By Ivan Salinas If there is a scene that could sum up innovation felt like it was going to solve the theme behind “Easy Rider,” the all of our issues. unforeseen Hollywood 1969 hippy I was only 12 years old back then counterculture classic, it is when George so my head was too busy dealing with Hanson, played by Jack Nicholson, tells puberty and middle school bullying so Billy: “What you represent to them is it’s not like I was aware of the entire Freedom.” political climate, but I do remember Billy, played by director Dennis feeling hope. Being undocumented, there Hopper, is confused by this, prompting was hope that soon I will grow up and Hanson to explain: “Tat’s what’s it’s be free to travel anywhere. Like Billy and all about, all right. But talkin’ about it Wyatt, I could get on a motorcycle and and bein’ it, that’s two diferent things ride across the U.S., including through ... of course, don’t ever tell anybody that the deep south, but that’s no longer the they’re not free, ‘cause then they’re gonna case. Now that I’m able to look back and get real busy killin’ and maimin’ to prove grasp a bigger picture of the past decade to you that they are.” Half a century in a more mature version of myself, later this conversation couldn’t be more this is a movie that still speaks to my relevant in 2020. generation. Watching this scene was like watching I couldn’t feel more separate from a Trump supporter have a conversation people who live in conservative states, with an LA liberal. Hanson also especially when people of my immigrant represents something in the flm, a status pose a threat? Hippies like Billy conservative — not so well behaved and Wyatt posed a threat; as white and since he met Billy and his friend American as they were, they met their Wyatt (played by Peter Fonda) in a jail tragic fate simply for looking diferent, cell — who is not scared of talking to for embracing their freedom. Why would individuals with long hair, wear unshaven mine be any diferent under this political beards and ride on motorcycles across climate? the country and listens to rock music. Te death of these two characters Tat’s what American freedom looked at gunpoint at the end of the movie like at the end of the ‘60s: long-haired symbolizes the end of an era. Te individuals seeking a connection with tumultuous ‘60s ended on a note that nature and the small-town life or move said the status quo would remain and be into anti-capitalist settlements, which reinforced. It still took four more years main characters Billy and Wyatt embody for the U.S. army to get out of Vietnam, in the flm. it still failed to recognize central issues Te CSUN Cinematheque will be to communities of color, and forced the screening “Easy Rider” on Jan. 29, the generation of potential change to join frst of its weekly Wednesday screenings the same oppressing power structures. under the theme Rock the Screen. As soon as 2020 began there were Curator Frances Gateward is focusing already military actions taking place on pop music as a form of cultural that would continue the bloodshed in expression in cinema. Some flms of the the Middle East, big tech companies series include “A Hard Day’s Night” getting in the oil drilling business and (1964), “Quadrophenia” (1979), “Super social media sites becoming ground zero Fly” (1972) and “Sing Street” (2016). to push propaganda depending on the In the case of “Easy Rider,” the movie data extracted from our activity within is flled with iconic rock songs, the main them. It seems like the people who have one being Steppenwolf ’s hard rock the potential to change the world for the classic “Born to be Wild.” Te song plays better choose to reject it in pursuit of as the introductory credits roll out while money. Billy and Wyatt ride their motorcycles Te only reason why Billy and Wyatt against a countryside backdrop — might are able to travel across the country in as well be the ofcial music video for “Easy Rider” is because they score a the song. Today if a movie like this were cocaine drug deal with a Mexican drug to be made, its soundtrack would have lord. Wyatt hides the money in his to be more hip-hop oriented — maybe motorcycle’s gas tank — a motorcycle Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” would that has the American fag painted on it. play and other country-rap songs — but With all this symbolism on the screen it the political undertones would be very made me ask myself, does money buy you similar. freedom? Can you buy the easy rider, beat Te lyrics for “Born to be Wild” send a lifestyle? It can, for a while. Until you have message of freedom like the flm, a voice to produce more money to survive, own a of the youth induced in psychedelics, home, pay taxes and all the other capitalist screaming “we were born to be wild, I duties. An anti-capitalist sedentary never want to die.” lifestyle is perhaps the real threat. I think of this uproaring moment of It’s not fair these two get to retire for the song and that’s probably what the scoring a drug deal while everyone else millennial generation felt like at the has to break their back to survive. It’s beginning of 2010. It was a moment of anti-American. And anything that is anti- progress and freedom. Technological American deserves to die. SUNDIAL º JANUARY 21 - 28, 2020 11