Summer Task - contextual studies & Editing

Within the first minute of this clip from Easy Rider very little is done in terms of editing. The shot is kept raw and naturalistic which captivates a theme of real life that continues throughout the narrative. Nothing more than a hand held camera is used to create this documentary styled shot which made me, as a viewer, feel a little awkward. As this minute of raw footage plays out I increasingly felt as if I had been taken out of a 'film mindset' and instead was actually sat with them, involved with the group's mundane and uncut life. The inclusive feel and theme of realism was elevated by the use of natural lighting. Natural lighting was a commonality for films of this era as it was the most available and technology was limited. However in terms of Easy Rider, lighting was not a case of convenience. The naturalistic lighting was deliberately used to enhance the rawness needed to highlight the careless free-spirited lives of the characters. The first minute of the clip identifies an idea that is present through the narrative and that is the struggle to move forward. Within this minute the group of four have made no progress in the narrative or their lives as all they are doing is sitting. This reflects a bigger picture that the film depicts of not moving forward in the eyes of society, the idea that there are more routes to find pleasure than that of convention and law. This message at the time was inspirational to subcultures who saw it as a middle finger to unwritten rules of contribution in society and institutes. Because of this the film quickly gained a cult following that continues to grow today.
Non diegetic sound fills the empty space and lack of energy in the beginning of the clip, the noise is a constant mechanical churn that suggests their surroundings are somewhat industrial. As the sound continues to loop it is overlapped by dialogue which begins as the characters find interest in a drug. Almost immediately after the characters take drugs the use of editing begins simulating their high. The original shot which has not yet been disturbed is suddenly cut to a high angled shot panning up a building that is covered by a lens flare, a non diegetic voice begins to read a Catholic prayer as the editing interrupts by cutting back to the group in their same positions. The constant mechanical loop continues over both clips, merging them together and reminding the audience of when the scene began and that the characters have not changed.  This disorientating use of editing continues until the dialogue from both clips carry on non diegetically over the opposite footage. This represents the  peak of their high and how they are being transported into another state of mind due to the drugs. This transition in mental state is visually shown through the glare of the sun becoming so intense it emulates dying and seeing the light of heaven, this idea fits thematically with the ever present prayer reading.
Images and footage of religious symbols being tarnished then start to be quickly cut together as the prayer reading continues. A shot of a lady lying naked in the graveyard can be used to represent this idea of taking down religion as can be seen as a mockery. The camera lens is filthy and covered in foliage which brings ideas to mind of someone hiding in the bushes watching the woman lay bare. This partners with other clips such as a lady undressing in the graveyard and the fact that the group have chosen the graveyard as a location to do drugs, to bring together the overriding view that religion is not to be taken seriously, the promiscuous and illegal acts taking place in the clips are edited along side religious symbols like the crucifix showing how there are strong negative feelings towards religion that live in the narrative.
1969 when the film was released was a time of change and upheave, this same year the world saw the Manson murders, Woodstock festival and the Stonewall riots meaning that many, who drifted away from the norms and values of conventional society, welcomed this film with open arms. The taking down of religious symbols in the clip is just one aspect of the film that related to so many people who were looking to rebel from what was seen as 'good'. This meant that the films popularity was huge to it's cult fans as simply going to the cinema to see the film was a way of making a stand against society.