Tuesday, September 13, 2016

"Easy Rider" Review: Part 2

Summary: After finally arriving in New Orleans, they celebrate Mardi Gras and then head toward Florida. Whilst driving down a little Alabama road, two hillbillies in a truck spot them. They attempt to scare the bikers with a gunshot, but instead one of them carelessly aims the gun at Billy and fires.

Not wanting to spend the rest of his life in prison, the hillbilly decides to discard any witnesses and shoots Wyatt as well. The film ends with a shot of the bike in the middle of the deserted road and two dead bodies near it.

Reflection: “Easy Rider” is an aesthetically beautiful movie with a killer soundtrack. However, it has many issues as well. Most notably, various types of drugs are constantly present and considered completely acceptable. In contrast, multiple racist remarks are made during the film. For instance, one man says "I don't believe they'll make the parish line,” referring to African Americans. The main characters won’t allow blacks in their clan, but LSD is a welcomed member, one they integrate into their everyday lives.
Here's why I believe that to be a backward way of thinking:
If you completely separate facts from opinions, values get thrown into the opinions pile when they should really be thrown into the facts pile.

“Drugs are wrong” is an opinion and since Easy Rider puts it in the same context as racism, the movie can trick our minds into thinking “Racists are wrong” is just an opinion as well, when it is actually a core value that should be considered a fact.

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