Woodstock (1970)

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1. 

   nymusix

   Pretty dazzling three hour documentary film. The music is amazing, the editing enhances the movie so much, but the real star of the movie is the sheer youth of festival. Seeing people in their teens and twenties manage to put something so massive and so successful on is especially jarring in today's world where a music festival like this one would have dozens of corporate sponsors and would be planned out months in advance. As a companion piece I recommend the Rolling Stones concert documentary, Gimme Shelter, which presents the dark side of the rock and roll revolution. 8 years 10 months ago
2. 

   jacktrewin

   one of the best edited films ever. truly amazing from start to finish with incredibly intimate recording of performances. all the non-performance footage is arguably what makes it so great 10 years 10 months ago
3. 

   mcmakattack

   Phenomenally edited, the composition of the musical performances and the piecing together of interviews both work really well. I was initially a bit worried of how much this doc would look at the festival with rose-colored glasses, as Woodstock '69 has a dark underbelly that not a lot of people talk about. This movie suffers from a nostalgic view a bit, but some of the true horrors of the fest were given some light.
   
   One of my favorite things that the director consistently cuts back to is the notes read aloud over the PA by the host in-between musical sets. These are usually messages from people looking for their lost friends, some shining examples (paraphrased): "Susie please meet your daddio Joe at the pink medical tent, his arm is broken," Geoffrey please meet Mary at the pavilion, and congratulations your baby has just been born." The best example however is the host praising all these youths for their respect and love, how they made Woodstock "heaven on Earth;" and they are working to get everyone fed. Thanks to the guys who brought a hamburger truck and fed several hundred people, unfortunately their truck was burned to the ground in the middle of the night...
   
   An interview with a doctor details the death of a few people, a woman talks about losing her sister for days and not knowing what to do with her medicine. Cut to Jefferson Airplane. The singer says "this is so beautiful, we all made this beautiful together. Just pick up some trash on your way out." Cut to piles of trash as people exit the festival. My only wish for an addition would be to include more of the aftermath of the decimated grounds, though that might not have jived with the documentary's sunny disposition. 11 months 4 weeks ago

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