So, a film review (of sorts) rather than a music review and not written for anyone else for a change but more to fulfil the need I have to put something down in writing about how profoundly affecting this film was for me…
It has been nearly five years since we lost the great Joe Strummer, a hero to me and countless others (not just music fans) who had been spellbound by not just his music but his passion, wit and insightfulness. Experienced punk film-maker and Sex Pistols collaborator Julien Temple of ‘The Filth And The Fury’ fame attempts to do the man justice with this much-needed and much-anticipated tribute.
Temple is lucky in some respects. The largely unheard (though according to a Strummer quote during the film some 40 million people listened to it) BBC World Service Show called 'London Calling' that Strummer presented in the 90s provides some vital material from Strummer’s later life, while also making up a kind of soundtrack to the film (especially satisfying since these were all songs handpicked by the man himself) and giving it a sense of cohesion. Rather than a documentary about a historical musical figure whose most important work took place 30 years ago, these intermittent bursts of Strummer soundbites give the film a vitality means that there is no need for a narrator and for much of the film it seems like the musician himself is the film-maker.
Temple takes the theme of the campfire, something key to the regeneration of Strummer in his private and musical life, as the central motif in the film. Throughout, family and friends old and new gather round campfires on both sides of the Atlantic to reminisce about the man they knew. This provides not only a useful film-making tool and the sense of community that Strummer’s life and the music of the Clash inspire, but also the flames and smoke that often threaten to overwhelm the shot offer a neat metaphor to the turmoil that he faced throughout his life – from his brother’s suicide, to the pressures of touring, to the break up of the Clash and his subsequent loss of self-confidence.
Add in some great old Clash interviews and footage and you have a formula that can’t really fail. Much of the punk period will be familiar ground for true Strummer fans, but Temple chooses not to dwell too long on this giving important insight into Strummer’s early years and life after the Clash – making up for any lack of footage available with a variety of animated segments. It is an interesting technique that at times can produce entertaining evocations of a part of his life, but at times they can seem a little too twee for a man as dynamic as his subject.
As any good biography or tribute should, ‘The Future Is Unwritten’ celebrates each facet of Strummer’s personality, most notably his passion for good causes, his fierce intelligence and his razor-sharp wit. There are funny moments throughout, for instance when asked what he wanted shown below his name, the answer “‘Punk rock warlord’. With ‘warlord’ as one word”
comes back in Strummers inimitable dry tones. Or the moment when a noticeably worse-for-wear Strummer asks an interviewer “Do you want to meet our manager?…He invented punk rock”: cue a camera pan to a mouth wide open, passed out Bernie Rhodes. It is not all plain sailing though, as Strummer's personal flaws are laid bare on several occasions to poignant effect. Described variously as a coward and at times not the best father, Temple wisely presents Strummer as the complex man he was instead of opting for mere one-dimensional hero-worship.
On the musical side we are reminded what an engaging performer, frontman and singer Strummer was, and perhaps even more, what an incredible lyricist he was. Equally the range of musicians who speak of the importance of the Clash to them, from Bono to Flea and beyond, goes some of the way to illuminating what an incredibly influential band The Clash were, are, and will remain to be for as long as people continue to make music. Perhaps a little strangely Temple chooses not to name the many contributors during the course of the film, which can leave the viewer sidetracked as they try desperately to remember that American actor’s name. However, it also reinforces the feeling that Strummer was a true man of the people, loved by the downtrodden and the Hollywood star alike and someone who would view them each as equals. His unshaking faith in humanity is always clear. Many of the contributors provide useful and intelligent insight, but speaking from the point of view of a Clash obsessive it's difficult to shake a feeling of annoyance at the apparent irrelevance some of the celebrities interviewed (again rarely is it explicitly stated how or why each person knew Strummer). And it is perhaps inappropriate that Jonny Depp's ridiculous plaited beard provoked the biggest laugh of the evening at the screening I attended.
While Temple is indeed lucky to have such a charismatic subject, an infinite list of people willing to talk about him and a wealth of resources, this remains a superbly made film that most importantly succeeds in the one thing it needs to: it pays tribute to a great man loved by millions. The feeling of tragedy that he was taken at the age of 50 actually ends up being replaced by the uplifting knowledge that this troubled soul that had spent 10 years in the wilderness both creatively and mentally, managed to be born again during his last years. It ends up, though almost heartbreakingly poignant, a true celebration of the man.
‘The Future Is Unwritten’ is both a powerfully moving and wonderfully enjoyable tribute to a singularly popular man. More than anything it lets us slip back into the world of a hugely influential musician – and just as importantly a great but troubled human being – for a few hours. And to anyone that is passionate about or interested in music, culture, society or just humanity itself, this time is absolutely priceless.
”And so now I’d like to say… people can change anything they want to. And that means everything in the world. People are running about and following their little tracks – I am one of them – but we’ve all got to stop just following our own little mouse trails. People can do anything. This is something I’m beginning to learn.
People are out there doing bad things to each other. It’s because they are being dehumanised. It’s time to take the humanity back into the centre of the ring and follow that for a time. Greed… it ain’t going anywhere. They should have that on a big billboard in Time Square.
Without people you’re nothing.
That’s my spiel.”
Joe Strummer 1952-2002
1 comment:
excellent thoughtful comments
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