Easy Rider

Captain America and Billy the Kid through out Easy Rider have only one thing on their mind after making a massive sale that can set them up for a very long time. The image of riding their bikes across country to New Orleans for Mardi Gras and after that to Florida to retire and enjoy life. As long as they have their pot, money stashed safely away in Captain’s gas tank, and each other, everything will be fine.

            Easy Rider is a film my father has been pushing me watch for a long time. I have always been obsessed with Hollywood, even living there at one time, so I was stressed to watch this film starring these two Hollywood legends. I had watched Dennis Hopper in other films and this seemed like one of the more kind characters he had played in his lifetime. I could not imagine a Dennis Hopper character in a different movie feeling enough sympathy to give a hitchhiker a ride and share his marijuana.

            Both Captain America and Billy share in common the satisfaction they get from riding their Harley’s around the country and of course doing drugs, however during this time period drug use was a common as drinking. The two seem almost inseparable at first that they both thrive off each other but I thought things went sour when they see themselves getting more and more side tracked on getting to New Orleans. It is safe to that Captain America is calling the shots but there are quite a few instances that look like they won’t make it, at least not together.

I viewed Billy the Kid and Captain America as platonic life partners. From business to being there for each other as best friends it is evident that these two will do anything for each other. I thought if anything at some point a female could intervene and take the plot for a twist but besides some of the hookers they meet and go to New Orleans with that was not going to happen. 

Thelma And Louise

Skepticism definitely describes my mentality going into watching Thelma and Louise. Not I didn’t think it would be a good film but based on the cover it seemed like a chick flick, as I stated in class during discussion this film is the about the complete opposite of a chick flick. Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis are a dynamic duo to say the least, excellent chemistry between the two of them and show they can impact as much damage as any male could. There lives before taking this trip show there pasts really were that troubling and something to this magnitude was definitely going to escalate.

            Thelma and Louise are similar but at the same time have different pasts. An overwhelming, controlling, man-child who is her husband shelters Thelma, she is clearly intimated by him based on their phone conversations. Her husband, Daryl appears wealthy and it seems obvious that Thelma could not see life without him. Not because she is love with him but because she does not have the survival instincts to go on without him because they have been together for so long. Many things have been bottled over their disgrace of a marriage and she takes out her frustration in different ways while on the run with Louise.

            Louise comes from a different standpoint. When she screams to Hal before murdering him that when is women is crying she is not having a good time, you get the instinct that it was possible she was raped in her lifetime. She has trust and anger issues, her short fuse gives out quite a few times on many different people through out the film. Despite how independent she does have a man in her life comes to the rescue for her. He proposes to her but it shut down. Jimmy, her boyfriend, understand the type of women Louise is an upon finding out she’s leaving for good he has no choice but to accept it, knowing there is no way to change her mind.

            These two women branch out of shells they are in once this trip gets on it’s way, specifically when the murder it occurs. I felt like Thelma more then Louise even thought Louise was the one who actually committed the murder. Louise experienced what it was like to be with another man, commit a crime, and be an intimating force. Something she had been going up against for the whole tenure of her marriage. Thelma and Louise come to the conclusion at the Grand Canyon that they’re run had come to an end and drive the car over the cliff.

            This film by no means is a chick flick, but definitely has over-bearing aspects of feminism. This film definitely shows that a female can be a force not to be reckoned with and Ridley Scott tries to reach the audiences full potential to realize that. 

Ideaolgies of a better opportunity

It is an image for a young boy, girl, or an immigrant for that matter to want to escape their poverty stricken and sad life they have to come to the United States and work. On top of wanting a better life for themselves they want to reach their full potential in the United States to send back to their families in their home countries. We have all had moments where we have observed immigrants doing work we would describe as a demeaning but it can also be a dream come true. 

The ideology of wanting to come to the United States for a better life could be viewed as a common misconception at the same time. Frankie experiences this misconception when he comes to the United States and shortly after turns himself in. As we have all learned in life nothing is ever guaranteed, we see in both Sin Nombre and Which Way Home the hurdles and obstacles these character go through just to make it to the border. On top of making it to the border the sketchy process of going through a hired people smuggler.

Many of the people on the mission to jump the border of the have some sort of a family in the United States. Syra had family in the New Jersey who she gets into contact with once arriving in the shopping center; Frankie has a grandmother in Los Angeles. A very vital scene in Sin Nombre is scene where Syra’s father is having her recite back the phone number to their family that they have in the United States. He wants to do everything in his power to instill the number in her head in the even they get separated, which they did.

During my time living in Los Angeles I met a number of immigrants who went through these measures to make it to the United States. I was working in the entertainment business and met paparazzi that came to Los Angeles with a 100 dollars to their name and went to start making 10-20 grand a month. That is just one example so it is at the very least realistic to have idealogies of coming to America to want to come to America to live a better life and make money to send home.

These films were difficult to watch for me at the least, more Which Way Home then Sin Nombre. The scene in Which Way Home with 10-year-old Jose in the child immigration office, I almost lost it. The fact of the matter is that is life for them so you cannot blame them for the image of wanting to come here. The boys exclaim on the train everything they have scene on television and how amazing it would be to do to New York City. Some images I have scene from these films will never escape me and I find it easier to be grateful for living here.  

Sin Nombre

In the film Sin Nombre it does an exceptional job at portraying the real life scenario of the influence gang life has on the youth. In that unfortunate society it’s something that is heavily influenced, whether it passed down generational or through any other type of recruitment it’s something that starts very early. It does not take to the long for the character of Smiley to grow accustom to way of living the MS-13 exhibits on the film Sin Nombre.

After Smiley brutal initiation beating he takes from a few of the other gang members to prove he can be worthy of joining, it’s followed by a big smile on his face thus earning his nickname. The second part of his initiation is a very vital scene in the film. The MS-13 stumbles across a rival gang member of theirs and brings him back to their base. The rival gang member exclaims that is no longer apart of his life and that he has a family to please show him mercy. However, the tattoo on his stomach is enough of a reason to take his life.

Lil Mago the gang leader of the MS-13 shows absolutely no mercy, gets right in face and graphically explains how his life is about to end and he will dog food very soon. This whole dialogue scene takes place while Lil Mago’s baby is in his arms. It appears very genuine this once rival gang member is no longer apart of this life and wants nothing more of it, however, the chances of being spared his life at this point are slim to none.

Once being told the rival gang member’s life is about to be taken it seems Lil Mago is about to take his life but instead wants Smiley to take the honor as another part of his initiation process. Obviously the young Smiley is very shook and hesitant of this task, only semi-ready because he is still well aware of what he signed up for. Lil Mago orders Casper to assist Smiley in murdering the rival. Once doing so, you can feel Smiley’s heart drop upon watching. To Casper it was probably nothing more then just another day on the job.

Smiley appears to sit in disarray pondering it seems. He is well aware of what took place, it didn’t seem he was in shock, necessarily. It seems through this initiation process he is finally realizing entirely what he has signed up for. Lil Mago sits with him afterward and explains how it’s normal to feel this way after the first time. For all I know it could be that he murdered somebody, but at the same time I can’t imagine that is the first time Smiley has experienced something like that where he lives and what surrounds him. I felt this scene was so powerful because Smiley is realizing that this what is life is going to be all about. At this young age it is decided and there will be no other way out.