转自RogerEbert

Inacuriousway,FrancisFordCoppolax27;squot;TheRainPeoplequot;isthemirrorimageofquot;EasyRider.quot;InCoppolax27;sfilm,amiddle-classwifedrivesthefamilystationwagonwestinsearchoffreedom.Inquot;EasyRider,quot;twodrugfreaksmakeafortunesmugglingcocaineacrosstheborder,andthenheadeastonmotorcyclesinsearchofthemiddle-classdreamofretirementinFlorida.AndsoyouhavetwoopposedAmericanlife-stylescrossingpaths,somewhereinOklahoma,likeshipsinthenight.Thecharactersinonemovieareseekingwhatthecharactersintheotherareescaping.Maybethatx27;swhatbothmoviesareabout;Inanycase,noneofthecharacterssucceedinescapingtheirpastsorreachingtheirgoals.Or,asPeterFondasaysinquot;EasyRider,quot;weblewit;weallblewit.Thatmaynotbeentirelyaccurate.Hereandthereinthesestates,therearenodoubtmillionsofpeoplewho,byandlarge,arehappy.Byandlarge,Ix27;mhappymostofthetimemyself.Butthecatchis,whatarewegettingoutofit?Shouldalifecontributesomething?Shoulditseemtohaveameaning?Itisenoughtobehappy,ormustonebesurroundedbyametaphysicalglowofsignificance?ThesearchforpersonalfulfillmentissuchanAmericanthemeweholdthepatentonit.Foralongtime,wehadtheWest.Ifyoudidnx27;tlikeithere,youcouldalwaysheadthere.Butthen,aboutthetimeofquot;TheGrapesofWrathquot;theWestfellthroughasaplacetogowhenthingswerebadathome.Andeversincethen,thegreatAmericansearchhastohittheroad.Route66.TheWabashCannonball.Ihearthattraina-cominx27;....Basicallythesearchisthesamenomatterhowyouundertakeit.Theyoungwife(ShirleyKnight)Inquot;TheRainPeoplequot;andthePeterFondacharacterinquot;EasyRiderquot;arelinealdescendantsofthemosttypicalAmericansearcherofthemall,HuckleberryFinn.Therulesofthegamesaythesesearchesarealwaysundertakenbytwocompanions:asophisticate,andaninnocent.SoHuckFinntakesalongtheslave,Jim.AndPeterFondatakesalongthepothead(playedbyDennisHopper).AndShirleyKnightpicksupahitchhiker(JamesCaan)whowasacollegefootballplayeruntilhegotbangedontheheadandthatmadehimaninnocent.Thefunctionofinnocentsistobesatisfiedandaskobviousquestions.Theydigthings.Theylikecatfish(Jim)andgettingstoned(Hopper)andtheyloveaparade(Caan).Andtheycanx27;tunderstandwhytheircompaniononthequestdoesnx27;tjustsettledownandtakeiteasy.Butthebigthingaboutaquest,asDonQuixoteexplainedtoSancho,isthatitx27;sonlyfunaslongasyoux27;restillonit.Thatwasthetroublewithquot;MidnightCowboyquot;--aslongasRatsobelievedFloridawouldsolvehisproblems,hewasokay.ButactuallygettingonthebusandgoingtoFloridawasafatalmistake.Bymakinghisdreamrealhediscovered,alas,itwasonlyadream.Inquot;TheRainPeoplequot;CoppolatakeshischaractersacrossacarefullyobservedAmericanlandscape.MissKnightandCaandrivethroughsmallcountrytowns,andbigcities.ButtheShirleyKnightcharacterfiltersthelandscapethroughherowndisillusionmentanddespair.(Shex27;strappedinamarriageshedoesnx27;tbelievein,andshex27;sgoingtohaveachildshex27;snotsureshewants.)Thequot;EasyRiderquot;charactersontheotherhand,wouldliketoseegroovythingsbutintheirlandscapeeverythingseemstobegoingwrong.Thekidsinthehippiecommunesareasscrewedupastherednecksintheroadsidecafe.HuckFinnhadthisfiguredoutandhetriedtofenceofftheworldbycreatinghisownandtakingitwithhim.Therewasnothingsoniceandsmoothandquietandeasyaslayingonyourbackonthatraftinthemiddleofthenight,floatingdowntheMississippiandwatchingthestarsslidepast.AsforCoppolaandhisworld,itx27;sdifficulttosaywhetherhisfilmissuccessfulornot.Thatx27;sthebeautifulthingaboutalotofthenew,experimentalAmericandirectors,theyx27;dratherdointerestingthingsandmakeprovocativeobservationsthantrytooutflankJohnFordonhiswaytotheGreatAmericanMovie.Soallyoucanreallysay,Iguess,isherex27;swhatCoppolax27;supto.ItisatraditionalAmericanpastimeandanobleone--exploringthecountrythroughtheeyesofadissatisfiedsearcher.Andwhatthesearchdiscoversisnomore(andnoless)thanacrossroadsinOklahoma,aparadeinPennsylvania,longnightsontheroad,aherowhogotbangedonthehead,andahighwaypatrolmanwhois,evenso,ahumanbeing.Andtheseplacesandpeoplefittogether,theyloveorhateeachother,allbecauseoftheaccidentofbeingaliveatthesametimeandplace.Ittakestheinnocent(theslaveJim,thesimpletonpothead,thefootballhero)toask--whyarenx27;tyouhappy?Whatareyoulookingfor?Andittakesthesophisticate(asHuckFinnunderstoodsowellinhislongchatswithJim)tosay:Ifyoucanaskthequestionyoudonx27;tneedtheanswer.