Dir. Mike Figgis, UK, 126 mins
Cast:
Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, Tom Jones
One of the most distinctive elements of any Mike Figgis film is the use of music to punctuate the action. Figgis, the director of Leaving Las Vegas and Stormy Monday, was part of a rhythm and blues band in the late sixties called The Gas Board alongside future rock star Bryan Ferry. It should come as no surprise that Figgis has revisited his passion with a detailed documentary looking at Blues music in the UK. Figgis' insightful and passionate look at the Blues boom of the late 1950's clearly comes from a director eager to share his obsession. The music certainly takes centre stage here with songs played in full and uninterrupted as the camera lingers on artists after their performances to gauge their reactions. There is a sense that the audience is being permitted to witness a part of the creative process as singers and musicians interpret some of the classic Blues standards. Even if you are not a Blues enthusiast the music is so skilfully played and discussed with such enthusiasm and vigour that you cannot fail to gain an understanding of what is described by one participant as 'the main American art form.' Adopting a talking heads format which is accompanied by especially recorded performances from the likes of Tom Jones, Van Morrison and Jeff Beck, Figgis features rare archive footage which illustrates how interest from the Brits kept the Blues tradition alive during a period when it all but died in America. In talking to figures such as George Melly, Eric Clapton and Muddy Waters, Figgis paints a detailed history of the genre without alienating the casual viewer or talking down to the expert. He also shows how Blues music influenced chart acts such as Cream, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones and was eventually re-exported to the USA. Taking in a relatively small aspect of Blues history Figgis ensures that the pace never flags. The good humour of the participants spills over with personal anecdotes and reminisces telling the story with the kind of honesty that you cannot help but warm to. Raconteurs like Melly, Humphrey Lyttleton and the late Lonnie Donegan discuss the Blues scene with vivacious enthusiasm offering stories which, although must have been told a thousand times, seem fresh and spontaneous. Unlike many DVD extra features which tell us how good the product is, this shows us with a detailed commentary from Figgis and producer John Porter. In addition to this, songs performed on the disc are supplied in isolation alongside rehearsal footage and tracks which didn't quite make the final cut. Jonathan Wilkins |
