The U.S. vs. John Lennon (2006) saw widespread release in September 2006. Entertainment industry veterans David Leaf and John Scheinfeld follow the "peacenik" arc of John Lennon (10/9/1940-12/8/1980) and Yoko Ono (b.2/18/1933) from the late 1960s through the first part of the 1970s, and end with his death. It's a worthwhile film with excellent footage and interviews of people ranging from Gore Vidal (getting in as many pithy digs at Nixon and G.W. Bush as he can) to G. Gordon Liddy. The latter is most instructive in his unrepentently psychopathic responses to anti-war protest. He's a perfect villain, in fact.
Overall, we see John and Yoko during Vietnam join the anti-war movement, espousing peace, love and understanding a la the later Elvis Costello song. Elements of the U.S. government, in short, begin deportation procedures while tapping phone lines and adding to his FBI files. The two pop heroes make a stand and decide to remain in New York City, their elected home, while fighting deportation.
The governmental deportation, imprisonment, or harrassment of "undesirable elements" has a long and sorry history in the USA, starting in earnest with the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798. Charlie Chaplin's visa was revoked through the machinations of J. Edgar Hoover in 1952, for instance; W.E.B. DuBois and Paul Robeson, among many others, were banned from travelling because of excercising free speech.
In The U.S. vs. John Lennon, both Lennon and Ono are seen in an entirely positive, often playful light. Though this is intentional to keep the focus on bigger issues, I was still surprised how well Yoko comes off mostly through her own charm.
The entire film is a bit too long for one sitting (it could have been cut by twenty minutes to good effect), but I enjoyed it. Aside from the exciting glimpses into the Vietnam era, it spotlights several big issues of timeless importance -- war, peace, free speech, music/art, media, government, power.
Today's Rune: Breakthrough.
Imagine . . . . .
4 comments:
Sounds intriguing. My highschool class song was "Imagine." I graduate in '81, the year Lennon was killed.
Love and hatred are intimamente on to all the important events of the humanity. Taste of the music of John Lennon, but I think that in the end of its life already it passed of the route. As it said Jimmi Hendrix "Who dies is made for the remaining portion of its life" Beijus
So this is Christmas......
I was studying for torts when Lennon was killed.
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