New Hollywood

AND THE RISE OF ALTERNATIVE CINEMA

What were the two big impacting factors that brought about the end of
the studio system and the golden age of Hollywood?
A federal antitrust action, which separated film productions from their
exhibition (being shown in this case the cinema). The government stopped
vertical integration.
The advent of television.
As a result, there was a lot of lost profit for producers and companies. This

What events happened between the 1940s and 1970s that would have
After World War 2, the leftover people had a lot of job opportunities. People who lived through it had
an oppression to the concept of war. Many protests, including civil rights ( black and other minor
ethnic minorities protested for equal rights as white people ) and feminism (female rights). New
themes of music occurred, with young generations forming a Counter Culture.

The cold war occurred. Different ideaologies. The west was all about freedom.
The president J. F Kenedy was assassinated. People blamed Russians (soviets) for the assassination.

Environmentalism occurring.

impacted on American culture?

Before hand, films usually contained a strong white male character.
However due to ethnic and female rights, they considered representing females and ethnic
minorities more significantly and positively.
Artistic freedom with storytelling. In Psycho the main character was killed of halfway in the
film. Before hand, it would be preposterous to kill of the main character. Therefore we can see
they have destroyed the moral conventions in the Haze code where the good hero has to
defeat the antagonist.

Counter culture influence and representations.

How do you think these events alongside the collapse of the studio system
may have changed the types of films being made in America?

EASY RIDER (1969)

Directed by Dennis Hopper

Produced by Peter Fonda
Written by Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Terry Southern
Starring Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson

Whilst watching the film make notes about the following elements...

Is the film visually different from the studio films of the studio
system?

Are there any scenes that really stick out as experimental?

For the ending shot of the first scene, there is a sound of a plane
flying, which then transitions to a shot of a plane flying. I do not
believe that previous films had the sound completely locked for their
designated scene.
Extreme close up and close/medium close ups cuts alternated
quickly.

Quick zoom in/outs are used.

A wide shot showing someone hammering a stone is shown. In the
distance meanwhile we also see the main characters changing the tire
in their bike. This allows audiences to be intrigued into seeing more
than just one visual.
P.O.V shots.
Content restrictions violated, due to scenes of nudity and drugs.
Used lens flare and quick cuts, to convey the characters going high on
drugs. Can convey how they may see things differently, when on drugs.
The locations are rural, conveying a free vibe, due to not many people
being there (e.g. desert landscapes).

They were not subjected to re shooting in film studios and instead filmed
in avariety of locations.
Long tracking/panning shots of people.
Different foreground shots, of characters having varied proxemics.
Use jump scare technique in having men suddenly beat man up, rather
than showing a slowly tense

How are the different social groups being represented?

In this era, many youths would likely be into the latest trends. One
character wears a leather jacket and shades and rides a motorbike.
He has an outwardly considerable slick hair style too, appealing to
youths whom awould want to be cool.
The husband

Is the narrative and characterisation traditional?

We see the main protagonist going behind a pile of metal waste and
then sniffing cocaine. Typically the protagonist would be seen to not
commit any bad actions what so ever.
The secondary protagonist hits on a woman, does drugs, drinks
quite a bit and is very untrusting and aggressively defensive toward
other people.
Additionally the acting is rather subtle and not too overly dramatic,
giving a more natural and realistic quality to the characters.

Who would have been the audience for the film at the time of
release?
Youths who may enjoy being free and cool.
The characters act very freely in drinking, taking drugs and
performing dangerous gestures while riding on their motorbikes,
such as suspending their legs and two arms away from the handles.
This would relate to youths, who at the time, wanted to be free and
rebellious.
Additionally, seeing adults (who youths would look up to) act free
instead their usual formal and mature representation can inspire
audiences.

How does the film reflect social changes of the time?

During a dinner discussion, the protagonist comments how the husband is

lucky to have his own home and land. This may convey how some people
were able to be fortunate to live in his own place.

However the first hitch hiker lives in a commune with farm houses,
wanting to get away from others. There is this communist area, where
everyone is treated equally.
We are given implications
The main characters are wearing necklace and hair scarfs and causal
styles, relating to how people became more peaceful free.
The main characters are driving freely on their motorbikes in the rural
areas of route 66. This may symbolise freedom in America.
The protagonist claims to have blown their dream, despite having earned
money and spent it. Despite being free, they discover they are not free,
due to being harassed and having their friend killed, until ultimately they
are killed. It conveys the death of the American dream.
The American dream conveys that as long as you have money, you do
whatever you want.
However despite the characters having a lot of money, they did not live
the dream.
Many of the characters are considered peace people in wearing head
bands.

When they go into a caf, the youth females are attracted to them.
The police men and a slightly middle aged man however discriminate
them, thinking they are trouble, calling them low and thinking they
should be locked up in cages.
This conveys how society still continue to discriminate people who look
different, by having prejudiced stereotypes.
It symbolises the different lifestyles people chose to live and
disadvantages some may suffer (I.e lacking of crops in fields).

One of the places the characters visit is a farm areal with a large family.
While dressing up as though to impose westerns. They implicate a slight
sense of indian, due to having a tee pee tent. This may convey how
different cultures are beginning to be popular.

The characters are respectful and non discrimating of the certain

lifestyles, impying acceptance of different cultures and lifestyles.
One of the male ccharacters flirts with a owman, whom allows it, despite
her slight opposition (walking away but continuing to smile).
This conveys the issue of some women continuing to allow men to take
advantage. However most of them have fun in swimming with the women,
playing equally. This conveys woman being given slightly more fair rights.
During one scene, a man conveys a hypothesis about how aliens may be
able to resolve equality. This conveys the current issue of a lacking of
equality in their country possibly?
Discrimination against alternative people (I.e Hippies), by implying them
to be homosexual, and comparing them with black people.

A family with a catholic wife.

Is the film shocking or challenging?

The film shows the protagonist to be kind in helping people. However, at

the same time he is shown to be taking drugs.
During one scene, a rather working/middle class prisoner is given
privledges such as a cigarette and cup of tea.
The police man does not offer the two characters a cigarette, being very
prejudiced against their class.
However the middle class prisoner asks the policeman to give them a
cigarette which he then does so.
This challenges the separation between classes, as we see one middle
class person enable a lower (and at the time still considered low class
man) class privileges too.
The police man enables the middle class prisoner privileges, which is very
challenging, as we would expect the policeman to stick with formalities of
treating everyone the same.
This gives a loose characterisation to the policemen, whereas policemen
would usually just be given a formal characterisation with no character
underneath.
The protagonists spend the money on their recently deceased friend, on
food and drink.
Despite feeling sad for his death and wanting to return his belongings to
his family, they still use his money.

Seeing characters taking drugs as well as nudity scenes of woman walking

around grave yard.

What genre is the film?

Drama, as the characters go on a journey.

Western, also, as there are common conventions, including the characters
riding motorbikes like they are riding horses (shot showing both man
fixing horse and other guy fixing bike).

 Is anything in the film shocking or challenging?

What

Genre is the film?