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Review

Written and directed by two seasoned documentarians, this history of John Lennon’s post-Beatles adventures with Yoko Ono will be most familiar to baby-boomers and the Gen-Xers while providing a succinct overview of the era and the man for everyone else. Moving from the psychedelic heyday of the late sixties, Lennon became increasingly influenced by the political feminism and conceptual artistic flair of Yoko. Well-produced with a solid mix of striking graphics, archival footage and talking head interviews with Noam Chomsky, Angela Davis, Bobby Seale and many others, this documentary never tries to frame Lennon in a revisionist mode. The facts are there and are presented in a refreshing, straightforward manner.

Jumping into the fray that was the movement against the Vietnam War, Lennon and Ono at first staged "bed-ins," living in their bed and giving interviews to interested journalists. This was followed by events such as "bagisms" (giving interviews encased in large cloth bags) and the penning of the penultimate antiwar song, "Give Peace a Chance." Growing more radical and militant in his stance, the turning point in his relationship with the United States was Lennon's financial support to underground groups such as the Black Panthers and his, for a time, avowed membership to the communist party. The government, headed by President Nixon, and the intelligence community, headed by J. Edgar Hoover, both powerful, paranoid and determined men, was intent on dogging Lennon and Ono, watching their every move and making life uncomfortable.

The culminating event was the attempted deportation to England of Lennon; it never occurred, but the legal battles were protracted and annoying. He emerged triumphant and as a testament to his spirit of peace, held no ill-will against his tormenters. Possessed by his vision and his muse, Lennon continues to inspire the young people of today.

 -- Max Brinck