Head Out on the Highway: Of Motorcycles and Men in ‘Easy Rider,’ ‘The Wild One’ and ‘The Bikeriders’ [Retrospective]

There are things that feel like American originals, even if the truth reveals something different entirely. The motorcycle, for instance, has its roots in Germany, but let’s not let that get in the way of a good story. It just feels like a vehicle perfectly suited to the American interstate: nothing but open road for as far as the eye can see. Whether the rider is blazing or cruising, something about a bike on a long stretch of road just feels like it belongs here. The motorcycle, albeit in more modern times, feels like a perfect corollary to the horse in the Wild West. Men using a method of transportation, either alive or seemingly alive with the rumbling roar of the engine, to become free. This freedom builds the bonds of brotherhood, even if those bonds are sometimes built through violence and near psychopathic behavior. With the anniversary of a true American classic, 1969’s Easy Rider, reaching 55 years, what better time to take a closer look at this deeply American genre?

This is not to say that Easy Rider is the one and only example of this particular class of film, though it is singular in other ways. And it certainly wasn’t the first of the motorcycle films. In fact, very close to the birth of cinema, in 1895, the first that featured a motorcycle prominently was A Motorbike Adventure. But certainly, these much older films do not fully connect with the lifestyle of the motorcycle as we knew it in the ‘50s and ‘60s, and certainly not with our picture of the modern rider. With Easy Rider, two films very easily stir similar feelings; 1953’s The Wild One and 2024’s The Bikeriders.

Freedom Isn’t Free

Billy: What the hell is wrong with freedom? That’s what it’s all about.

George Hanson: Oh, yeah, that’s right. That’s what it’s all about, all right. But talkin’ about it and bein’ it, that’s two different thangs.

Easy Rider (1969)

Easy Rider has been called many things. A road movie, a hangout movie, a movie about nothing, a movie about everything. One of the many things that it very much is about is freedom. Like the motorcycle, this is another idea that America has co-opted from the world. Americans are certainly not the only people that crave and fight for freedom. But it is the land of the free and the home of the brave, after all. Our ideas of freedom have changed drastically over time, especially as our government became much more complex than “for the people, by the people.” And, as Easy Rider posits, the status quo fears people who are truly free. 

As George (Jack Nicholson) tells Billy (Dennis Hopper) and Wyatt (Peter Fonda), “It’s real hard to be free when you are bought and sold in the marketplace.” Nobody, especially in America, wants to be told that they are not truly free, even if we are servants to the beast of capitalism. And even if freedom is within our grasp, there is no greater risk to the stability we crave than actual, true freedom. He continues, “but they see a free individual, it’s gonna scare ‘em.” It is not simply an aesthetic choice that Wyatt’s memorable bike and helmet are emblazoned with the American flag. It is at the cost of many lives that the symbol of America, and of freedom itself, makes these men targets of those that fear their purity of freedom, no matter what strife they face. 

But Easy Rider is neither the first nor the last motorcycle movie to offer this taste of freedom. In fact, just this year, Jeff Nichols adapted The Bikeriders, from the book of the same name by Danny Lyon. Despite obvious similarities, the background of the main characters feels quite distinct from the road-bound hippies of the former film. Johnny (Tom Hardy) has a wife and kids; a normal, relatively successful life. In a mildly on-the-nose sequence, he sees Marlon Brando in The Wild One (more on that in a moment) and is immediately inspired. He starts The Vandals Motorcycle Club borne purely out of the love of riding and being just a little bit different. This freedom connects him with others, especially Benny (Austin Butler), whom he sees, falsely, as a true kindred spirit. These connections formed a bond between these two men, and many more together, for better or worse. It is notable that, when the connections are direct and intimate, all is well. As the club increases in number and scope, something that does not happen in many motorcycle movies, powers shift and danger grows.

László Benedek’s The Wild One takes a very different path to freedom. It follows Johnny Strabler (Brando) as his gang, along with a rival one, invades a small hamlet. The film is much more of a warning that “this could happen in your town.” The men in these gangs run roughshod over both the town and societal conventions. A sterling cast, including Brando and Lee Marvin, are, if anything, too engaging, leaving us rooting for their hooligan-like behavior. Their freedom is dangerous, and they hold it as more important than anything, leaving very little regard for others. They are focused only on their own sense of joy and sensation. This film taps into the very real fear of everyday people when faced with anyone they see as a potential danger to both their personal safety and the norms of society.

Rebels, With and Without Cause

Mildred: Hey Johnny, what are you rebelling against?

Johnny: Whadda you got?

The Wild One (1953)

In all three of these films, there is an inherent nature of rebellion folded into that desire for true freedom. After all, how can you be truly free without bucking against the systems that limit said freedoms? Often with that rebellion comes horrific violence. One can argue that these clubs have a right to strike against the powers that be, but that is short-sighted. And not all of these examples are organized in that focused manner. Easy Rider, being a road movie (or the road movie), actually flips that script in an interesting way. Here, our bikers are peace-loving, often shown breaking bread with people that the American public have no interest in.

They are certainly rebelling against the system, and seem to care little for other people’s reactions towards them. Let’s not sugar coat it, though; they are drug smugglers, even pushing against a metaphorical system by stashing their cash in the gas tank of that same stars-and-stripes motorcycle, financial freedom inside symbolic freedom. But they are not outwardly violent or angry. As a matter of fact, the only violence enacted is towards the bikers themselves, as they attempt to simply eat a meal in a local diner. After keeping their cool, despite attacks on their character, sexuality, and general countenance, the real violence occurs. In the dead of night, a cowardly and brutal ambush, from the very same men that mocked them as they ate, leaves George injured and then suddenly deceased. The scene is visceral and beautifully filmed by director Dennis Hopper, despite showing little to no detail. The choice of hearing Billy and Wyatt painfully discuss what to do with his belongings under the cover of darkness as his corpse lies near them is truly haunting.

The violence and rebellion in the remaining two films are much more obvious and on the surface. Brando and Marvin’s rival gangs blaze into town, ostensibly to mess with the “squares” and win a motorcycle race. But, as the townspeople push back against the invading forces, things get ugly. Given that this film was released in 1953, much of the action, albeit minimal, will likely feel silly to modern eyes. But, if you watch Brando, known as one of our great actors for good reason, we see the costs of violence as he springs into action, saving an innocent townsperson, Kathie Bleeker (Mary Murphy). Sure, she happens to be the most beautiful woman on screen, but she is surrounded by Gringo’s (Marvin) gang, and is in imminent danger. Johnny is no saint, but there are lines he won’t quite cross. 

On the other hand, The Bikeriders shies away from violence in many circumstances. Given that it is, on the surface, a film about the rise and possible fall of a motorcycle club, blood is expected. But it can also be argued that this is more a story of intimacy, longing, and expectations than it is a history lesson. The only acts of violence that we see its leader, Johnny, engage in are in reaction to Benny. When there is a standoff between clubs, it is not Johnny that strikes. He only does after Benny rushes in headlong and puts himself in danger. In a later scene, after Benny is seriously injured for daring to wear a jacket branded with the club’s logo at a rival bar, Johnny defends his honor the only way he knows how. As the bar burns down, Johnny watches it, knowing that he did the right thing. Given the time period and hypermasculinity of the motorcycle club, the love between Johnny and Benny must forever be unspoken. Benny’s tears (something he had never shed) after Johnny’s death prove this love more than words could ever manage. This longing for connection between these two men makes all of the fallout (including marital strife and the motorcycle club membership changing for the worse) pale in comparison to the real loss. The intimacy that they have, solidified by a nearly perfect fireside scene filmed by cinematographer Adam Stone, supersedes every other relationship, not only within the storyline of this film, but likely throughout the rest of their lives.

Star Quality

Johnny: What the hell were you thinking back there?

Benny: What?

Johnny: Back there, when you come charging in like that.

Benny: Nothing. I saw you squaring off with them guys. What do I need to think for?

The Bikeriders (2024)

Not just anybody in Hollywood can get on a motorcycle and feel believable. You can’t just have a good looking person strap on a helmet and gun the engine. No, there is a certain quality needed. Think of all of the motorcycle movies you know; they all have one thing in common. At least one movie star (or one about to ascend) is getting on that bike. There is a cool factor that goes with both motorcycles and movie stars. It is nearly impossible to define, but boy do you know it when you see it.

The Wild One makes it easy. Besides James Dean (somewhat due to his untimely death and the circumstances of it), there are few actors in American movie history that encompass cool quite like a young Marlon Brando. He truly had it all. A revolutionary, radical talent, combined with the stunning good looks that we all crave on the silver screen. Rebellion was always cool, but never like it was here. A man rebelling against whatever happens to be in front of him is childish. Or it should be. There is no nuance, thought, or history there. And yet, when Brando utters those fateful words, we are almost forced to agree with him. And we don’t even know what we are agreeing with! His lack of context and causality makes him sexy, dangerous, and oddly, a leader. Johnny would almost be guaranteed to disagree with this assessment. As he says, “Now, listen, you don’t go to any one special place. That’s cornball style. You just go.” By all logic, this is not a man to follow. And yet, many men in the film do. But more importantly, the audience follows, too.

Among them are the burgeoning Vandals in The Bikeriders. It cannot be simply by chance that Tom Hardy, who bears more than a passing resemblance to Brando, sees his famous line from The Wild One and mouths it, while ignoring his quite normal family. In essence, it seems like Johnny is learning to be a biker from Brando, and then passes it along to his growing crew. But Hardy, although giving a stunning performance, is not the movie star. He, along with Jodie Comer’s Kathy, turns once again to Benny for the embodiment of biker-cool. In many ways, Austin Butler’s character is a vessel for everyone’s hopes and dreams. And what better definition of movie stardom is there than a person who can make us hope for that fulfillment? A marriage, the club, friendship, intimacy; he seems to care for none of these things, but does what he can to fulfill. Until he can’t, that is, and then he does what he does best: he rides. As he takes off, away from Johnny, Kathy, and anyone who dares to care about him, Austin Butler, the movie star, gives both them and us that feeling of longing that can never be actualized. Movie stars cannot be touched, only viewed from afar; in his case, seen as he rides away in a cloud of exhaust.

Easy Rider, despite being 55 years old, still oozes movie-star charm. There is a triad of male star power here that might still be unmatched. Hopper is clearly the furthest away from stardom, but he has a watchable quality that is shocking, given his hippie sensibilities and motormouth. But with his nervous energy, he is the perfect juxtaposition to his counterparts. It would be easy for him to become an alarming, or even annoying presence, but the film is perfectly balanced, which is at least partially owed to him as the director. 

Is there a bigger movie star of the 1960s and beyond than Jack Nicholson? Frankly, you can just say his first name and we know who you are talking about. But Easy Rider was long before his explosion. This was pre-Chinatown, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and The Shining. And yet, when he appears (despite being the antithesis of biker-cool), we are enraptured. In many ways, Jack balances the line between the squares and the bikers. He has a foot in both worlds and, in a horrific twist of fate, he is the one who first takes the brunt of the hate and violence. 

However, in this moment in time, they all paled in comparison to Peter Fonda. Some of this is beyond acting, beyond presence on screen. Fonda is, of course, Hollywood royalty. Son to Henry Fonda, younger brother to Jane Fonda, and father to Bridget Fonda. Despite the shared acting pedigree, the apple definitely fell quite far from the tree. His father, Henry could not have been more different, an acting stalwart and a conservative man. Peter, who co-wrote the screenplay with Hopper and Terry Southern (for which they received an Academy Award nomination), was the perfect choice for Wyatt. Not only did he have the looks and the cool factor, but he lived the counterculture life and believed in it. His many times silent, even stoic performance conceals a depth of feeling that shines through in Easy Rider. It is a lot easier to be a star when you have lines and lines of dialogue (or better yet, monologues) to riff off of. But Wyatt requires true gravitas, something Fonda has in spades. All three of these actors play a distinct part in the power of Easy Rider, and the film would fall apart without the balance afforded by their performances. That said, Fonda holds it together, as only a true star of the industry can.
The motorcycle movie has existed long before the age of sound, but it could not thrive without it. The rumbling of the engines, the riders shouting to be heard, the screech of the tires as the riders peel out; this is something intrinsic to the genre in more modern times. Anyone who has ever been startled by a pack of riders roaring past them on the highway can speak to why the deafening sound is necessary to truly feel the impact of motorcycles on film. When Easy Rider premiered in 1969, the genre was forever changed. Bikers were not always something to be feared, even if they lived on the outskirts of society. It achieved a level of cool that was unparalleled for the time and even now. The film was unexpected, powerful, and challenging. It, unlike most movies of its ilk, refuses to walk you through what you should think. Instead, it dares you to think. What is the life you have chosen? Are you truly free? And is that freedom worth the cost? Billy and Wyatt, despite their ends, would unequivocally say it is worth it. Men on motorcycles can be good and bad, powerful and weak, bonded and independent. This is the point. Never limit the experience. We can be anything, as long as the open road is stretched out in front of us and the gas tank is full.

The Wild One was released by Columbia Pictures on December 25, 1953. It is currently available to rent on Amazon and Sling.

Easy Rider was released by Columbia Pictures on July 14, 1969. It is currently available to rent on Amazon

The Bikeriders was released by Focus Features on June 21, 2024. It is currently in theaters and will be available on VOD platforms July 9.