1001 Movies - Woodstock

3 Days of Peace and Music. That’s how the now notorious Woodstock festival was advertised and its legacy has lived on as a defining part of the 'hippy' movement; it even lent its name to a whole generation. But it also caused a state of emergency to be issued by the local county. Military airforce transport was recruited to ferry people in and out. There had to be notifications from the main stage about bad acid going around and the schedule was so badly delayed, The Who played at 5 am and Jimi Hendrix played the morning after the festival was due to finish.

Woodstock is a documentary that follows the festival from its hopeful beginning to the wet, muddy, and worn out end with every naked, tripping, loving moment in between. From building the stage to serious warnings about it collapsing on the festival goers. From the optimism of the fresh faced youngsters turning up for the festivities, to those in the medical tent, searching for the ones they love. There’s joy and there’s sadness. Pain and hope. There’s no real narrative, no dominant message or active voice, just a camera drifting through the peace loving chaos that was Woodstock.

It’s a testament to how narratively gripping life can be when pushed to the extreme; when, in essence, you voluntarily create a third world country within wealthy America for the purpose of celebrating peace and love through music. 400,000 people descend on New York which naturally brings with it health issues, social conflict with surrounding areas, and huge practical obstacles for everyone, from the festival organisers up to the government, to have to cope with and we get to watch selected highlights of these unique dramas. Intersperse this with some performances from legendary musicians, and you have three hours of utterly breathtaking film making.

As the morning sun gently shines down on Jimi Hendrix playing his psychedelic, ground breaking, era defining version of Star spangled Banner, you realise you’ve witnessed something historic. This was an event that defined a generation and, like the now diminished crowd on screen, you’re emotionally drained; you’re amazed that this incredibly ambitious event, plagued by almost every challenge known to mankind, came to fruition. More than that, the documentary demonstrates unprecedented foresight and intuition. Released a year after the festival, it captured something powerful on film - something inimitable, a once in a lifetime event. It had its fingers on America’s pulse and sensed the magnitude of what was coming and fought to ensure it was documented.

We talk about capturing the current zeitgeist in good documentaries but none have done it more successfully and, arguably, more powerfully than Woodstock. Woodstock the festival was legendary but fleeting, Woodstock the film: unforgettable.

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