There are few films in motion picture history that define a generation. There are fewer films that have inspired a generation. And then there are films like Five Easy Pieces, which are inexplicably able to accomplish both with masterful technique. Often hailed as one the essential films to create the New Wave Era of Hollywood films, Five Easy Pieces has had an enormous impact on film history as a whole. And it does so not by pounding ideals into its audiences heads, but by portraying a character study who reflects the counterculture generation as a whole – both good and bad.

The Frustration of Youth

Jack Nicholson’s character, Bobby Eroica Dupea, became an icon for the counterculture movement of the 1960’s and 1970’s. Described by Filmsite as “reflecting the aimless, restless, dissatisfied middle-class spirit that was prevalent (of the era)”, Bobby Dupea became a vehicle for the youth of that time period to insert themselves into. Being a child prodigy of classical piano, and hailing from an entire family of musicians, Bobby is immediately pressured into following his family’s plans to follow in their footsteps from a young age. Much like the counterculture, however, Bobby rebels against this predetermined fate to seek out his own destiny.

Yet what he finds is not inspiration or purpose, but a dead-end, miserable job as an oil field rigger. And rather than find a group of people that he can connect with, Bobby instead spends his time with his girlfriend, Rayette, who he does not respect, and his simpleton friend, Elton, who he looks down upon. Elton is the personification of values held by previous generations before the counterculture, being content with simple work and raising a family despite living in a trailer park without any real standing in the world. This world is just as revolting to Bobby as his elitist family’s, and this is reflected even within the trailer as he states, “Keep on telling me about the good life, Elton, because it makes me puke”.

The Breaking Point

Much like how the counterculture’s frustration with their restricted freedoms eventually erupted into protests, so too does Bobby’s frustration towards his perceived lack of control. As anyone can attest to, being stuck in traffic is the embodiment of helplessness. Being completely at the whims of those driving ahead of you, there are few daily situations that occur in life which better reflect feelings of having no control over one’s own life. And for Bobby, this is no exception. His frustration with his monotonous, completely scheduled life eventually boils over as he loses it in a freeway traffic jam.

What is particularly interesting about this blow-up, however, is that he finds comfort by playing a piano in the back of the truck. What was once a symbol of his family’s attempt to control him instead provides a feeling of independence, as Bobby becomes so entranced that he does not even realize the truck is driving off into another direction than where he was headed before. Perhaps a metaphor for one’s passions freeing them to explore the unbeaten path.

Fear of Satisfaction

The main image of the counterculture that Bobby represents is the inability to find satisfaction and purpose in life. He is unhappy as a child prodigy or as a simple blue collar worker, and cannot even find comfort in relationships, as he leaves Rayette in the end. This was a common characteristic attributed to the counterculture, as they rebelled against the idea of monogamous relationships or having to work within a system. Five Easy Pieces, however, does not seem to glorify nor mock these ideals. Bobby will likely never be content, but he will also be his own man rather than follow any script that society might assign. It is this realistic portrayal of the counterculture that inspired an entire Hollywood genre, one that valued the authentic vision of a director rather than following a studio’s notes. And really, nothing quite conveys the counterculture’s ideals more than that.