Phil Ochs: ‘Gone’ not forgotten
by James Verniere, news.bostonherald.com
March 11th 2011
The biographical documentary “Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune” opens today at
the Coolidge Corner Theatre and begins with the semi-legendary protest and folk
singer (and huge movie buff) performing his eerily elegiac 1966 song “When I’m
Gone.” After emerging as a seminal figure in 1960s pop culture and anti-war
politics and later suffering from alcoholism and bipolar disorder, Ochs, who
jousted against nothing less than “the unfairnesses of life,” committed suicide
in 1976.
The film, written and directed by Kenneth Bowser (“Easy Riders, Raging Bulls:
How the Sex, Drugs and Rock ’n’ Roll Generation Saved Hollywood,” etc.), is an
undeniably standard, if also undeniably accomplished array of home movies,
archival and other existing footage, still photos, interviews with surviving
friends, family, fellow artists and business colleagues, much of it played to
the tune of Ochs’ music, featuring the singer/songwriter’s distinctively
piercing troubadour’s voice.
If nothing else, this film serves as a neat introduction to the music that
helped create the anti-Vietnam War movement and define a generation.
As one of the most ardent, articulate and prolific voices of the anti-war
cause, Ochs was a standard-bearer. His song “I Ain’t Marching Anymore” became
one of its rousing anthems.
Described more than once as “fiercely competitive,” the former Ohio State
student was doomed to be eclipsed by the “other” Jewish folk singer of his
time, a certain Bob Dylan, who is conspicuous by his absence from this film,
except in photos. The two were apparently friendly rivals once, but had a
falling-out and at least one of the speakers in this film refers to Dylan with
an expletive.
Among those offering their take on Ochs and his times are Joan Baez, who is
often visibly moved, Sean Penn, Alice Ochs, Tom Hayden, Paul Krassner, the late
Dave Van Ronk and Christopher Hitchens.
At times, “Phil Ochs” becomes more a history of the 1960s and another tribute
to the Kennedy era than a biography of the singer/songwriter. But it’s an
admirable achievement well worth seeing and a poignant reminder of a time when
the music real-ly meant something.
(“Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune” contains profanity.)
Original Page:
http://news.bostonherald.com/entertainment/movies/reviews/view.bg?articleid=1322508&srvc=home&position=also
Shared from Read It Later
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"Sixties-L" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected].
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
[email protected].
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/sixties-l?hl=en.
