Documentary Round Up: Grey Gardens, Woodstock, Jimi Hendrix, and Harlan County U.S.A. - Review

This past year I have rediscovered my love of history and with that has come a new passion to watch documentary films. Today I will be discussing four such documentaries that I watched in 2023 and giving my reviews of them.

Grey Gardens (1975)

Boasting a naturalistic style this film follows two forgotten bourgeois women who continue to live in a fanciful world where they believe they are the stars of a show, but no one has been watching it, until now. No narration and a borderline influencer esque cinematography style offered an interesting glimpse into these two strange figures lives in the 1970s.

Still, the film does at times does feel put on, as if the director or the women, specifically “Little Eddie”, are performing in front of rather than being captured in a natural state by the camera. Beyond that the movie offers a haunting glimpse into two humans lost, or perhaps stuck in time.

I’m not sure I would recommend this one since it is rather disheartening. As well, the two women often rant back and forth in inaudible sequences which leave the viewer confused as to what they are discussing while also leaving the audience perplexed by the substandard living conditions they subject themselves to.

This feels more like a John Waters film with zany and over the top characters than a documentary. It is an interesting movie that grabs your attention but at the same time it could be troubling to viewers who do not wish to see people living in harsh conditions who may be suffering from declining mental health.

Woodstock (1970)

This is an astounding documentary that allowed the viewer to relieve the momentous music festival that changed the world one weekend from a farmer’s field. Active and beautiful cinematography captured interactions with those attending and the performances they saw.

As someone not well versed in music of this time period it was a joy to be able to see such a variety of artists in one place. My favourites were Richie Havens, Country Joe and the Fish, Crosby, Stills and Nash, John Sebastian, Canned Heat, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix.

The goal of the festival, as the documentary presented it, was to allow spatially separate but like minded groups to commingle in one large gathering which in retrospect felt like witnessing a precursor to the internet. Seeing the lifestyle of peace and free love in its raw form was mesmerizing and unlike any recreation.

One of my favourite moments in the film was when a custodial worker was captured cleaning the portable toilets. The decency with which the filmmakers treated him felt sincere and thus endearing. The man doing the work was also a fascinating person who seemed open to the anti war movement the concert endorsed while also having a son overseas in combat, which is confounding. That moment can be seen in the clip I included below.

Unlike many films I watch this is one that will stay with me and feel drawn to revisit as I have already watched it numerous times over in the months following my first viewing. Witnessing people feeling free to express themselves and be comfortable with being different based on knowing that they are accepted by their community was transformative. I implore more people to watch this film and hope that it impacts them as it did me. If you are going to watch it I recommend picking up the director's cut, which is the version I watched, as it was a great experience which I have enjoyed many times over since receiving my DVD copy of the documentary.

Jimi Hendrix (1973)

Following Woodstock I went on a bit of a Jimi Hendrix binge which led me to watch the documentary about his life. It is hard to not be mesmerized by a once in a generation talent. I can honestly say that If this documentary had been nothing but concert footage it could have gone on forever and still been great. Seeing Jimi play and create art on stage with guitar riffs and his unconventional playing style is spellbinding.

One negative aspect of the film was that several interviews seemed unfocused and failed to present a coherent picture of Jimi Hendrix's life. This is a topic that should be revisited either in a more coherent documentary or a biopic but recreating his charisma seems impossible so I can only hope another more skilled filmmaker combines footage of Hendrix incredible performing talent while also better documenting his life.

This performance, which I included above, by Jimi Hendrix on the acoustic guitar really stood out especially with his incredible vocals therein. It was interesting to learn about how self conscious he was both about his vocal talent and the way he presented himself. He is a fascinating figure in history and while this documentary has its faults it still offers an interesting glimpse into one of history's greatest musicians.

Harlan County U.S.A. (1976)

This is a powerful and still relevant documentary about the struggle of a small community's mining workers and their families to get what they feel they deserve. Seeing the workers varying takes on whether or not their union has their best interests at heart along with seeing the innerworkings and the politics within that organization were fascinating. Additionally, the ways in which the workers families supported them both personally and on the picket line in trying to combat the bureaucracy above them was compelling. The fact that their struggle ended in miner Lawrence Jones being murdered is a tragedy but it also was the impetus which led to a resolution.

One moment, which I must include as a hyperlink due to Wix's limitations, in the film that stood out to me as being especially compelling was when one mine worker discusses with a police officer the reasons as to why they have come to Wall St. New York to strike. Here is that link (https://www.tcm.com/video/1483125/harlan-county-usa-1976-is-your-job-real-dangerous/)

In order to avoid ending on a dour note I thought I would include my favourite song from the three days of peace and music at Woodstock: