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The film tells the story of the band’s travels through the eyes of Saltzman, who, after a breakup, finds himself searching for spiritual enlightenment in India, only to run into and form a friendship with Paul, John, George, and Ringo. Luckily for musical historians, Saltzman, a future filmmaker, had his camera with him.
Many documentaries focus on facts, figures, and dates, intent on giving audiences a short history lesson. Black Pigeons is more concerned with esoteric questions like what musicians hope to accomplish in their work and what that work means to their broader lives.
Despite their humble origins growing up in working-class Liverpool, nothing could hold them back, even as sophisticated Londoners looked down their noses at these lads from the supposedly uncouth British north country. Their fantastic commercial success was something as a teenager I could dream about for myself either in music or some other still-to-be-determined pursuit.
If relatively simple songs are being underanalyzed, we also lose the power in more complicated expressions of protest in songs like Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” The song’s triumphant chorus, which chants “Born in the U.S.A.,” often overshadows its darker verse.
Richard Strauss’s piece is a perfect example for two reasons. One, this composition has been shrouded by the media it's used in, and has lost its original identity -- those who listen to it have no idea its origin is actually a great classical score. Two, it serves as an example as to the breadth classical music can have when identifying emotions and feelings.
America, thanks in large part to its economic strength, has an outsize voice in worldwide pop culture, making it easy for subcultures and aging traditions to get swept into its melting pot. Thibodeaux and others make a compelling case for preserving our individual cultures, and filmmakers Abby Berendt Lavoi (director/producer), husband Jeremy Lavoi (director/producer) and Stephen Thorpe (sound producer) foster the conversation with gorgeous cinematography and a soundtrack that is always sharp and compelling.
A film about such a folk legend must include highlights of performances to satisfy the fans, especially those whose own lives have witnessed the messy, yet often glorious days that Baez’s own life reflects. These clips are golden moments, surely, with memorable songs performed by Joan and Mimi; one of Dylan’s hits sung by the pair at the height of their performing together; and on the Farewell Tour, “There But For Fortune” by Phil Ochs.