Summer of Soul (... ou, quand la révolution ne pouvait pas être télévisée)

Having grown up during the time this was filmed, I can truly identify with the music and mood of the country at that time. Take the time to really listen and watch this movie. The performances tell you so much about how the music touched people in a positive way. One of my favorite documentaries of all time.

I did not think time travel was possible, but then I walked into Summer of Soul. I could not have picked a better first post-pandemic theater experience, and I knew it the moment people started applauding at Mavis Staples' appearance. I visited 1969, I visited Harlem, and I had my very own Summer of Soul. Don't miss this one.

I'm not generally a fan of concert films, and "Summer of Soul" did go on a bit longer than I had patience for, but of films like it it's a great example of the genre.

The film makes a point of comparing the Harlem music festival to Woodstock, which took place in the same year. We remember Woodstock well -- it was even the subject of a documentary that won the Best Documentary Feature Academy Award in 1970 -- but who's ever heard of this black music festival? And it's even more jaw dropping because of the talent on the stage: Gladys Knight and the Pips, the Fifth Dimension, Sly and the Family Stone, Nina Simone. The difference is that Woodstock was a celebration of music while this festival turned into a cry of rage, hope, anger, and action within the black community. It's like the people singing at this festival were literally singing for their lives and for the lives of all black people.

The galvanized energy that people in the crowd were feeling at the time and that they talk about all these years later comes through in the rescued footage. You can feel the electricity and chemistry between the performers and the crowd. A highlight of the film is the performance of Nina Simone, who is absolutely captivating. A person who was there says that watching her come onstage was like watching an African princess, and you can see what she's talking about.

Grade: A.

I hope this movie inspires someone to put out a DVD set (or streaming) of performances from this festival. The performance clips we get are generally fantastic (do wonder if that was the only BB King tape surviving because his clip is a bit of a mess). Overall I think the interviews and historical context descriptions give great insight into the period and circumstances of the festival which deepen the film.

I haven't been so moved by a film in a long time.

Beautifully restored lost footage of one of the coolest music festivals ever, which serendipitously took place in 1969, a pivotal year in American history. Questlove brings his music mastery (particularly in his DJ-ing and drumming) to the documentary editing table. It's an impressive amount of cinematic style for a man who's admittedly a novice. Simone's performance of Young, Gifted, and Black perfectly captures the power and pureness of this social musical.