I thought that the song "Born To Be Wild" represented how the movie showed the concept of road trip. The first lines really stood out to me and include:
"Get your motor running
Head out on the highway
Lookin' for adventure"
When the song was played, the movie was showing Wyatt and Billy on their motorcycles on the road. It seemed like they were riding carefree and enjoying themselves. They seemed to be looking for a way of life, running into interesting encounters. Their journey was indeed adventurous, stopping at small local towns, smoking and getting high, and even getting themselves thrown into jail.
During the 1960s, were drugs used as a way of escaping the burdens of life?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I agree with Jessica that this song definitely paves the road for the rest of the movie. In essence, the song portrays them as a couple lone rangers out on the open road. The definitely acted with much spontaneity in picking up random hitchhikers and taking them to various places. Furthermore, the leather U.S. jacket is indicative of the character they were portraying and their perspective on life. It almost was meant to seem as if they own the U.S. and treat it as their unexplored backyard.
ReplyDeleteWhy does the main character throw out his watch at the start of the road trip?
I think it implies that it does not matter what time of day it is as long as they make it to Mardi Gras. They would eat when they were hungry, sleep when they were tired, and stop at dusk.
ReplyDeleteAnd I also agree with Jessica. One part that I thought stuck out during the movie was when they stopped for gas after picking up the hitchhiker. Billy gets worried about the money they put into the gas tank saying “that’s everything we ever dreamed of having” and scared that the hitchhiker might see it as he fills up the tank. They brought everything that they are worth, hinting that there’s nothing back home of value and possibly even going back for: That their plans didn’t even go as far as getting back home. They were just along for the experience and for the ride.
Why does Wyatt say “we blew it” at the end? Do you think that it was a prelude to them getting shot?
I will have to agree with this song being a perfect moment of how a road trip is defined in this movie.
ReplyDeleteRight before this song played, Wyatt took off his watch and threw it on the ground. I feel that by him throwing his watch off he is trying to give off the impression that everything from here on out is just "played by ear." It gives him a very carefree attitude and lets us predict that he is spontaneous and doesn't want to have things hindering him.
After this moment, the song starts to play. I think that this song is played at a perfect time because with it being at the beginning of the movie, it depicts these actors in their true light. They are content and this song helps depict the mellow mood these guys seem to be in while on their motorcycles. This song also provides framework for the freedom that they are tying to achieve and maintain by traveling on the road.
Do you think that the song "born to be wild" was also a good song for this specific time period/ movie because there were so many drugs being depicted, or do you find it cliche?
I also agree with everything the previous posts have said. I believe this song is absolutely appropriate for this part of the movie. To me, seeing as it was in the beginning, this showcased what was to come later on in the movie. And "Born to Be Wild" was certainly the phrase these characters lived by. As it was mentioned before, I find it very interesting that Wyatt threw off his watch just as he was starting the engine of his motorcycle. And what was even more interesting about it was the fact that he looked at it multiple times as if to closely monitor the time before he threw it to the ground. To me, it signified that he was going on the road with a thought of no limitations. By not having a watch to tell him the time, he was, as a matter of fact, no longer bound by this so called "time" element we live our daily lives by.
ReplyDeleteWhat was the significance of having such a sad ending? Was the duo's death supposed to be a metaphor for a failed attempt at freedom?
"Born to be Wild" is the perfect song to start out the movie of two guys searching for freedom and adventure. I agree with Wes and Stephanie that when he throws off his watch it signifies his leaving society and his schedule behind and opening up his mind for new possibilities. This song shows that these guys wanted to get on the "highway" and look for adventure and they do this spontaneously and embrace their surroundings and the nature of America. Their obsession with using drugs and getting high further shows their desire to be carefree and not be restricted by responsibility and the stress of daily life.
ReplyDeleteMy question is similar to Jessicas: I was wondering if many people in the 60s and still today use drugs to free themselves and forget about the responsibility, stress or pain of their lives.
I, and apparently half of the class, thought that the moment when "Born to Be Wild" started playing, and the guys started riding their motorcycles into the sunset over the American landscape was a perfect representation of what a road trip means in this movie. They are looking for adventure, they are open to whatever comes their way, they are excited by the prospect of change, and they are definitely wild. I liked the way that this scene also introduced these characters to the audience. They are connected by their trip together, but we can also see that they have two differnent personalities and styles (from the difference in the way they dress to the differences in their motorcycles.) I agree that the moment in which Wyatt threw down his watch is very symbolic - he is now unconstrained by the limits of his past life, as we can see throughout the movie.
ReplyDeleteAt the very beginning of the movie, the director made it a point that we saw Wyatt staring at the plane as it landed. Why was that? Was that a symbolic moment also?
I, too, thought this song signaled a great moment in the movie. The words, the music, what it meant to this generation and time period all add to this movie's view of road trips. I also though it was really interesting that almost all the characters in the movie have left something behind in their past and moved on to another place. Essentially, they have all taken or are taking their own road trip to escape.
ReplyDeleteAre there any characters that haven't taken a trip/moved/traveled at some point in the film?