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The Blues (film series) Dir: various Rated: various Screening from July 22 at Palace Nova East End Cinemas Martin Scorsese has engaged six other directors with a passion for music, including Wim Wenders, Clint Eastwood and Mike Figgis, to give their impressions of blues history, each making a feature length documentary for this series, 'The Blues'. Scorcese's 'Feel Like Going Home' traces the blues from the Mississippi Delta to its roots in East Africa, and includes performances by Taj Mahal, Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker. 'Red, White and Blue' directed by Mike Figgis ('Leaving Las Vegas') explores what happened when black music was taken up by white British musicians in the sixties and exported back to the US, exposing the music to a much bigger white audience and forcing recognition of black musicians by the mainstream media. This point is somewhat laboured, and while not everyone may care what records Eric Clapton listened to, there are enough moments in this film to make it essential viewing for any music fan. Featuring interviews and jam sessions with Van Morrison, Clapton, Jeff Beck and Tom Jones and snippets of wondrous performers like Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Booker T and the MGs, it's a window into British blues and rock'n'roll, and where it came from. Wim Wenders ('Wings of Desire', 'The Buena Vista Social Club'), in 'The Soul of a Man' looks at three of his heroes, Blind Willie Johnson, Skip James and J.P.Lenoir. Disappointed that there were no existing photographs of these men, Wenders re-created the 'twenties and 'thirties, with a hand cranked camera and the frame count of the period to give the effect of footage from that time. He also features some of his current favourites: Nick Cave, Lucinda Williams and Lou Reed. 'Warming by the Devil's Fire' by Charles Burnett tells of a young boy's experience in the fifties and the tensions between gospel music and "the devil's blues". He incorporates archival footage of the likes of Blind Willie Dixon (who Led Zeppelin shamelessly plagiarised), Bessie Smith, Dinah Washington and Big Bill Broonzy. 'Godfathers and Sons' directed by Marc Levin takes rappers and hip-hop artists, including Chuck D of Public Enemy to the Chicago Blues Festival to recall the heyday of blues in that city. There's archival footage of Bo Diddley, Sonny Boy Williamson, Howlin' Wolf , Ike Turner and many more. In 'The Road To Memphis', Richard Pearce looks at the blues heritage of Memphis, particularly B.B. King's story. Clint Eastwood's 'Piano Blues' will not screen in cinemas but is part of the series for DVD and TV release. This is a limited two week season, with each film screening two or three times so if you're interested in what helped form the music you like, check with the cinema for program details.  |
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