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67 of 68 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Year: 1964. The Country: Canada. The Man: Leonard Cohen., March 23, 2001
I just rented this fabulous DVD about Canadian novelist/poet/singer/traveller Leonard Cohen and am so glad I did... it is a little gem of a movie, giving us a first-hand look into the young Cohen as he, in his quiet, attractive way, lives and learns and laughs about life, in whatever order the day seems to bring him. Filmed in Black & White and released in 1965, the film was made as a 'documentary,' and as such takes us 'behind-the-scenes' into a slightly-staged version of Cohen's day-to-day life, complete with scenes of him waking up, bathing, shaving, hanging out at the local bar or a friend's house with his closest friends, at a book signing, and walking in the Montreal park where he played as a child. The film was shot before he became famous as a singer, and as such it focuses mainly on his work/career as a poet and novelist. The film was made by the Canadian National Film Board, and as such has a dated, now-quite-funny voice-over about Cohen. At the same time, the people behind the film definetely "got" Cohen -- the film is made with the same type of quiet humour that Cohen himself possesses. I think one of my favorite moments in the film shows Cohen being interviewed by a stern, older man who insists that Cohen couldn't possibly be a poet without things that "bother" or upset him. The man kind of insinuated that Cohen must have a mission of some sort, something deep -- that by being a poet, he must have been trying to address some wrong in the world and do something which would help correct it. But Cohen would have none of that. Looking like he does for much of the film: quiet, a bit smug, self-consciously attractive and intelligent, Cohen quietly responds, in a soft-spoken manner similar to that of B&W footage I've seen of fellow '60's poet Jim Morrison, "well, what I'm really interested in is a state of grace. When I wake up in the morning, I have to know that things are in balance...." The interviewer gives up completely then, and instead of getting any more miffed or confused, finally says, "okay, now you've lost me." And then you know it's Score One, Cohen and Film; Score Zero, Stuffy Clueless Interviewer. I Highly Recommended this film to fans of Cohen's music, his writing, or others of the wanna-be beatnik variety. There are plenty of black turtlenecks, steaming cups of coffee, intently gazing eyes, sly comic humour, stern black glasses, and seductively charming lines. His deadpan sarcasm and semi-stand-up comedy routines work just as well in 2001 as they did in 1964. His dashing, quiet, tongue-in-cheek humour reminds me much of a reading I saw recently of fellow Canadian writer, Margaret Atwood. They both had me laughing in the aisles. But it was smart laughter, if that makes sense. Better than a trip to the local coffehouse for that poetry slam -- well, just as good, but this one gives you a glimpse of history. I found it captivating. Forty years later, the Man still has It.
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DVD ~ Leonard Cohen
DVD ~ Leonard Cohen
DVD ~ Leonard Cohen
by Leonard Cohen
~ Leonard Cohen
