4. Easy Rider
Easy Rider is a movie that defined an entire generation of youth culture. The movie is obviously very dated by today's standards but as a cultural reflection it presents its time brilliantly. The central performances make it a quintessential road movie since the cast gels so perfectly. Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda capture the zeitgeist of the 60s in their performances by being starkly anti-establishment and leading unconventional lifestyles. The direction by Hopper is amazing in the way that it channels the French New Wave style of filmmaking into something distinctly American in nature. This helped spark a revolution in Hollywood leading to the artistic freedom that many directors were given in the 70s.