(Julien Temple, UK, rated R, 138 minutes)
Right: Matthew Barney's better half
If you've seen the ads for Glastonbury, you've probably noticed the familiar visage of Chris Martin. If you're a Coldplay fan, you've probably been intrigued. If not, you've probably been turned off. Adding to the Woodstock-meets-Lollapalooza vibe, the poster features splayed legs, peace signs, and the tagline, "The mud. The music. The madness."
Either way, you might have assumed the film documents one year at the world's longest-running music festival. That's what I was expecting--it's what William Beaton, Robin Mahoney and Matthew Salkeld's Glastonbury: The Movie delivers--but nothing could be further from the truth.
Directed by Julien Temple (The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle, The Filth and the Fury), Glastonbury explores all aspects of the UK event, from its inception in 1970 up to 2005. What wasn't shot by Temple and his crew comes from previously existing footage, some shot by fans and some by professionals, like Nicolas Roeg and producer David Puttnam for 1972's Glastonbury Fayre, Peter Neal's take on the festival's early days.
In other words, you can't really compare Glastonbury to Woodstock, Festival, Message to Love, or even more contemporary films, like Coachella. It's a mash-up of all the above--from Terry Reid to Toots and the Maytals, Melanie to the Scissor Sisters, Richie Havens to, well, Coldplay, although festival regulars Van Morrison, Hawkwind, and Elvis Costello are conspicuous by their absence.
Highlights include Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds ("Red Right Hand"), Pulp ("Common People"), and Björk ("Human Behavior"). Radiohead's fine "Fake Plastic Trees," unfortunately, doesn't play in its entirety, though I couldn't say whether that was a budgetary or aesthetic decision.
Since Glastonbury is a full-on documentary, and not a concert film, the focus isn't on complete sets. And when Temple does feature individual songs, which is often, there are a lot of cutaways--not surprisingly, he was one of Britain's premiere video directors in the 1980s.
That means the documentary isn't just about the performers, but the millions of music lovers who have been traveling to the West Country for over 35 years. It's also about the festival workers, the townspeople, the travelers, the authorities, the gate-crashers, and festival founder and bushy-bearded dairy farmer Michael Eavis.
Although I enjoyed Glastonbury, the reviews have been mixed, and I'm not surprised. Those expecting a traditional concert film, will probably want to look elsewhere.
For a wide-ranging exploration of a major festival, however, this rambling document offers a wealth of riches, including--or in spite of-all the acid-addled hippies, lager-filled punk rockers, and ecstasy-fueled ravers. And most of the former are nude, hence the R rating in the US.
While I enjoyed a few music festivals back in the day, I no longer have the time, the patience, or more often than not, the money. Glastonbury allows music fans to enjoy the sights and sounds without having to experience the smells and other "fringe benefits" of the festival experience.
Please don't shit in the hedges.
--Sign on the Glastonbury grounds
I have no idea whether Julien Temple's Joe Strummer documentary, The Future is Unwritten, will play this year's SIFF, but I'm crossing my fingers. It garnered raves at Sundance, and seems like a great fit.
Glastonbury is currently playing at the Varsity Theater (4329 University Way NE). For more information, please visit the Landmark Theatres website or call (206) 781-5755. Images from AppleTV (Bjork), Rotten Tomatoes (Chris Martin and miles of tents), and IMDb (Thom Yorke).
No comments:
Post a Comment