Product Details

• Actors: Paul Simon
• Directors: Joe Berlinger
• Format: Blu-ray, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region A/1 (Read more about DVD/Blu-ray formats.)
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Sony Legacy
• DVD Release Date: June 5, 2012
• Run Time: 101 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B007P06DL8
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #35,356 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

In 1986, Graceland sold 14 million copies worldwide and garnered both the Album and Song of the Year Grammy in 1987. Simon and the members of Ladysmith Black Mambazo performed on Saturday Night Live and appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone. It generated three hit singles and it kept Paul Simon and the Graceland tour on the road for five years. Its music was heard across the globe. Today, its music and its reputation still reach generations of music enthusiasts yet so many are unaware of how pivotal that one album was during the 1980s, how it helped birth the idea of World Music and revived the career of one of America s most important songwriters. How it influenced the political progress of South Africa a country divided by institutionalized racism, causing and then transcending years of controversy. How in fact the album came to be in the first place.

Under African Skies (Directed by Joe Berlinger, award-winning director) captures Paul Simon's return to South Africa in 2011 to explore the incredible journey of his historic Graceland album, including the political backlash he received for allegedly breaking the UN cultural boycott of South Africa designed to end the Apartheid regime. Features film bonus footage.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific journey into great music, uplifting to the extreme July 1, 2012

By ben stewart

Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase

Paul Simon needs no introduction and his greatest work of all Graceland is explored in many dimensions. From anti racism activists to Sir Paul Mc Cartney and Hugh Masekela. You get let into the controversy that occurred at the time and see the critics question Paul about supposedly exploiting African musician working on this masterpiece. You also see short clips of recent versions sung by the original artists that help create Graceland. One for the fans and even the casual observer. Highly recommended.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Always fascinating and sometimes uncomfortable (mostly in the good way) October 8, 2012

By K. Gordon TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Blu-ray

This documentary celebrates the 25th anniversary of Paul Simon's great Graceland' album. At the same time it questions
Simon's political choices in going to South Africa to record during the U.N. approved cultural boycott, seeking to keep South
Africa isolated and thus put more pressure on the white regime to step down.

Simon's reply is that artists shouldn't be subject to arbitrary political decisions - they must follow their heart and muse first, and
he did more to help raise awareness of South Africa by going than by staying away.

The film doesn't take clear sides on these questions and that's fine, a documentary doesn't have to take sides on such a morally
complex issue to be successful.

But there is something a bit slippery in Simon's somewhat pat answers that seem to be given a pass. And a meeting between Simon
and Dali Tambo, the South African head of 'Artists Against Apartheid' feels awkward and staged, each man explaining to the other their
point of view on what happened, ending with what felt like a very forced forgiveness hug.

Is the film letting Simon off too easily? Or is his very awkwardness Berlinger's point? (even his embraces of the musicians who played with
him on the album sometimes feel like they might not have happened if there wasn't a camera rolling) .

One telling detail, the fact that Simon took first credit on all the music, even though - as we hear some of the original pre-Simon
instrumentals from the album - we realize that many of the songs are almost identical, just somewhat re-arranged by Simon. Taking first
writing credit seems like an act of hubris that the film never mentions or questions.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars it's a 5 star film - the 1 star comment is misplaced anger January 4, 2013

By Peter Z

Format:Blu-ray

IMHO - it's a great film. it deserves a 5 star rating. i also saw it on PBS this eve and the film had at least 3 full concert song performances at the end. it's a great story and i'm glad it was told.

to the person who gave it a 1 star rating... you've certainly struck a raw nerve in many of us who loved the film :) LOL

your singular 1 star rating had more to do with your disappointing 'best buy' purchase experience rather then the film itself. you got duped and you took it out on the film.

so all of us here are scratching our heads on why would you give this film a 1 star rating. do you really want no one to see it??? :)

so if you LOVE Paul Simon and his music...wouldn't you want to share it? someone searching this DVD/Blu Ray is going see your 1 Star rating and perhaps not buy the music.

hopefully the buyer will see all of our positive comments and decide to get the DVD/Blu Ray after all :)

check out the film again...if you still don't like it...i'll buy it from you :)