🇬🇧 Easy Rider - 50 years (free from spoilers)

The iconic movie “Easy Rider”, from 1969, celebrated 50 years recently. Peter Fonda, one of the stars in the movie, died in 2019 too. I had the opportunity to watch this movie for the second time this Saturday. 

Easy Rider is about two men who were travelling from LA to the Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The photography is astonishing. The soundtrack is wonderful. We see two men travelling in customised motorcycles and we forget how boring can be to hear nothing but the motorcycles and themselves for many kilometres. Currently we can travel listening to music while riding but we’re talking about 1969, before the famous Woodstock festival. The technology was not that fine.

The movie shows the guys making friends and enemies along the road. There is an amazing speech from George Hanson (Jack Nicholson) during the movie where he speaks about what his two travel companions represent to many people. He talks about freedom. And how free people disturb “normal” people. We know this from many other resources like Harry Potter or Dom Casmurro, a book from brazilian writer Machado de Assis where Bentinho feels constantly threatened by the charming Capitu.

If we observe our current reality, anywhere in this world we find these two groups: the ignorant brutes who kill or threaten anyone who is different and open minded, and the people who enjoys the company of free people. 

Going one step further, I must say innovative people are always somewhat free. It’s impossible to be innovative hating change, hating the different. It’s impossible because to innovate is to create change.

No, the movie is not about innovation. This blog is. And I’m sharing what I perceive from that story that can be useful for people who appreciate innovation and who are open to observe art with a critical eye. You’re free to share your thoughts, avoiding spoilers in the comments.

Nycka, the nomad