MStar, I've watched that documentary twice. I loved it!
My two favorite scenes:
He's in London, I believe, on tour, and he's getting lots of criticism for selling out to rock and "abandoning" the folk scene. He comes on stage and the crowd sounds a bit hostile when they see he's got his electric guitar strapped on. He says, "This is gonna be a folk song" and then starts singing "Electric Leopard-Skin Pillbox Hat!"
The other one is during the news conference, when a young suit-clad reporter asks him how many protest singers there are. Dylan, with a trace of a smile, says, "136." And the doofus reporter asks, "Do you mean about 136 or exactly 136." And Dylan, without skipping a beat, says, "It's either 136 or 142." I was laughing my butt off!
Scorcese has managed to capture Dylan at his most articulate best. He must have really gained Dylan's trust, because Dylan really gives some straight answers (unlike with the misguided reporter and his dumb question!)
It was also fascinating to hear all the interviews with so many other musical greats in this documentary.
I agree, MStar--one of the best documentaries I've ever seen....up there with Ken Burns's stuff even.
IMO Scorsese did a great job--portraying not only the music, but the entire scene that birthed it, the social climate of the time from which it sprang, and Dylans reactions to the things before him-- all in proper context
The cutting of the music was masterful IMO, after he was hailed as 'the spokesman of his generation', which Dylan didn't believe for a minute, he is shown singing "All I really want to do is be friends with you"and you get the feeling that despite the pedestal he had been put on, and the inane projections upon him ( WHat is the significance of the T-Shirt you were wearing on the album cover Bob?) he really means it.
Ginsberg's brief bit on how he had become a Shaman, and Liam Clancy's 'a shapeshifter', cut over the live performance of "Its alright Ma"captured the genuine mystique, mystery and possibility that was alive at those moments--
When 'the scene' all became too much and Dylan sings " Its all Over Now, Baby Blue" and " I aint gonna work on Maggies farm no more" , you know just what he is getting at.
To me it documents well the growth of an artist and opens up volumes on the artistic process.
For me it brought back that time that I was a little too young to fully grasp, but should and was well documented as a very important, special and rare time in american music, one of those moments that happens only briefly if ever. Liam Clancy said something like "You never know where lightening is going to strike", this is one place that it did and I am glad that Scorcese got it down.
... am I gushing enough?
--sorry
I dont like many movies-but this one is way up there--there are some great early performances on the DVD extras too
Dylan "happened" when I was a young, questioning, searching woman, and he was an important influence on my life. As a girl coming out of the 1950s, I wanted more than the latest appliance and a house with a white picket fence. I wanted justice and truth and love and adventure. He was such a part of all that for me.
One of the things I was so happy to see in the documentary was that Dylan seemed so together during the Scorsese interviews...lucid and peaceful. I've seen him when he wasn't like that and attributed it to too many drugs or too much booze. There was a time when I was embarrassed for him, the way he stumbled around and slurred his words so badly that he was hard to understand. It was a relief to me to see him clear and sharp like that.
Odd thing is, I was almost afraid that I'd see things about Bob Dylan in the film that I didn't like, but much to my relief, I didn't. He was so personable and mellow. The fine wine version of his younger self.
I am old enough to remember that unbelievable time of music and changing culture. It was exhilarating. I'm not so naive as to think it was all peace and love and brotherhood, but those things were prominent in our minds and in the music. The times truly were a'changin'. I think we're due again!
saw it (on PBS)... LOVED it... will probably buy it... I can't add anything more to the glowing reviews than has already been said...
it kind of transported me back to the days of my youth (a good thing)... I thought it was particularly interesting the way his friend from College said that he went away for a month and came back a completely different and much more accomplished musician... at least I think he said a month... it sure seemed like he crammed a lot into that timespan, whatever it was... he was like a sponge... and then the way the lyrics and music flowed out... it was Amazing...
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Linda Z
MStar, I've watched that documentary twice. I loved it!
My two favorite scenes:
He's in London, I believe, on tour, and he's getting lots of criticism for selling out to rock and "abandoning" the folk scene. He comes on stage and the crowd sounds a bit hostile when they see he's got his electric guitar strapped on. He says, "This is gonna be a folk song" and then starts singing "Electric Leopard-Skin Pillbox Hat!"
The other one is during the news conference, when a young suit-clad reporter asks him how many protest singers there are. Dylan, with a trace of a smile, says, "136." And the doofus reporter asks, "Do you mean about 136 or exactly 136." And Dylan, without skipping a beat, says, "It's either 136 or 142." I was laughing my butt off!
Scorcese has managed to capture Dylan at his most articulate best. He must have really gained Dylan's trust, because Dylan really gives some straight answers (unlike with the misguided reporter and his dumb question!)
It was also fascinating to hear all the interviews with so many other musical greats in this documentary.
I agree, MStar--one of the best documentaries I've ever seen....up there with Ken Burns's stuff even.
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mstar1
It was actually 146 -but who's counting?
--that cracked me up too!
IMO Scorsese did a great job--portraying not only the music, but the entire scene that birthed it, the social climate of the time from which it sprang, and Dylans reactions to the things before him-- all in proper context
The cutting of the music was masterful IMO, after he was hailed as 'the spokesman of his generation', which Dylan didn't believe for a minute, he is shown singing "All I really want to do is be friends with you"and you get the feeling that despite the pedestal he had been put on, and the inane projections upon him ( WHat is the significance of the T-Shirt you were wearing on the album cover Bob?) he really means it.
Ginsberg's brief bit on how he had become a Shaman, and Liam Clancy's 'a shapeshifter', cut over the live performance of "Its alright Ma"captured the genuine mystique, mystery and possibility that was alive at those moments--
When 'the scene' all became too much and Dylan sings " Its all Over Now, Baby Blue" and " I aint gonna work on Maggies farm no more" , you know just what he is getting at.
To me it documents well the growth of an artist and opens up volumes on the artistic process.
For me it brought back that time that I was a little too young to fully grasp, but should and was well documented as a very important, special and rare time in american music, one of those moments that happens only briefly if ever. Liam Clancy said something like "You never know where lightening is going to strike", this is one place that it did and I am glad that Scorcese got it down.
... am I gushing enough?
I dont like many movies-but this one is way up there--there are some great early performances on the DVD extras too
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Linda Z
Dylan "happened" when I was a young, questioning, searching woman, and he was an important influence on my life. As a girl coming out of the 1950s, I wanted more than the latest appliance and a house with a white picket fence. I wanted justice and truth and love and adventure. He was such a part of all that for me.
One of the things I was so happy to see in the documentary was that Dylan seemed so together during the Scorsese interviews...lucid and peaceful. I've seen him when he wasn't like that and attributed it to too many drugs or too much booze. There was a time when I was embarrassed for him, the way he stumbled around and slurred his words so badly that he was hard to understand. It was a relief to me to see him clear and sharp like that.
Odd thing is, I was almost afraid that I'd see things about Bob Dylan in the film that I didn't like, but much to my relief, I didn't. He was so personable and mellow. The fine wine version of his younger self.
I am old enough to remember that unbelievable time of music and changing culture. It was exhilarating. I'm not so naive as to think it was all peace and love and brotherhood, but those things were prominent in our minds and in the music. The times truly were a'changin'. I think we're due again!
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Tom Strange
saw it (on PBS)... LOVED it... will probably buy it... I can't add anything more to the glowing reviews than has already been said...
it kind of transported me back to the days of my youth (a good thing)... I thought it was particularly interesting the way his friend from College said that he went away for a month and came back a completely different and much more accomplished musician... at least I think he said a month... it sure seemed like he crammed a lot into that timespan, whatever it was... he was like a sponge... and then the way the lyrics and music flowed out... it was Amazing...
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