The U.S. vs. John Lennon
by David Leaf, John Scheinfeld
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Actor: Chris Charlesworth, Everett Dirksen, Gloria Emerson, John Lennon, Pat NixonDirector: David Leaf, John Scheinfeld
Brand: LION'S GATE ENTERTAINMENT
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0; English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 96 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-02-13
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Lions Gate
DVD Reviews of The U.S. vs. John Lennon
DVD Review: In Defense of John Lennon Here
Summary: 4 Stars
In a recent DVD review of A Tribute to John Lennon, a film that chronicled a concert held in New York City in early October, 2001 in the immediate aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks, I started the review with the following paragraph:
"I am here to rain on this tribute to the work of John Lennon in New York City in early October 2001 on two counts- musically and politically. As to the music. I make no bones about the fact that, as a product of the Generation of '68, I grew to adulthood with this music, however, in any choice between The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, in my book the Stones win hands down. The same applies to comparisons to Lennon as an individual artist. John Lennon could write lyrics with the best of them, no question, but here is the real question- which song, for example, better expresses the sense of working class alienation and, more importantly, what to do about it- Lennon's Working Class Hero or The Stones' Street Fighting Man?'
I then went on to detail my militant leftist politics differences with Lennon's essentially pacific, almost childishly na?ve politics. I stand by those remarks here. Nevertheless, as my headline indicates, in this documentary we are dealing with a different issue that traces the American government's (with who knows what other government's complicity) nefarious persecution of Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono for their brand of radical political activities. In their efforts to avoid deportation all our sympathies are with the Lennons (as they would be for anyone in that situation, cultural icon or not). We do not have to agree on Lennon's "music is the revolution" ideas or anything else to know this simple fact- Against one Richard M. Nixon and his cohorts (as represented here by J. Edgar Hoover, various INS officials and, seemingly, G. Gordon Liddy) we are comrades in arms.
This somewhat choppily-segmented documentary that is moreover top heavy with `talking heads' nevertheless does a good job of presenting the progress of John Lennon from the moppet Beatle to somewhat angry working class youth to the Gandhi-like prophet to something like America's Public Enemy Number something as opposition to the Vietnam war escalated. And the American government reacted to Lennon, as it did to others, in its pathological fear of anything left of Billy Graham in the spiritual field (or any field for that matter). This film traces the illegal harassment of the Lennons and their co-workers, his forthright long drawn out legal fight with immigration authorities to avoid deportation and his vindication after several years with the award of permanent resident status.
Along the way we get a glimpse back at the various be-in activities conducted by the Lennons, their various attempts at making political connections with other well-known political radicals and their essential political retreat in the face of the American governmental onslaught over their visa status. Add in an all-star cast of those, mainly repentant, radicals on both sides of the Atlantic like Tariq Ali and John Sinclair and you indeed have a trip down memory lane. But here is the kicker- yes, remember John Lennon's visa fight- yes, remember when you take on the American state be ready for any madness, and I mean any madness and, no- do not for a minute believe `music is the revolution" or other notions presented here. That is the lesson we ultimately learn from this film.
DVD Review: Lessons Learned But Ignored.
Summary: 5 Stars
I strongly recommend this documentary for insight into the twisted, paranoid ways
our government keeps tabs on anyone considered to be a threat to their grip on power.
Every member of Congress should have been required to view this DVD before
they voted on the new FISA legislation.
DVD Review: A generally good and endearing Love-Fest posing as a serious documentary
Summary: 3 Stars
I saw this documentary when it initially came out. It works partially as an expose on the history of Mr. Lennon's legal entanglements, but it becomes too much of everyone's commentary on the times and his music. If it's to focus on his legal issues as the title conveys, then let it focus on that. It does add the gratuitous Beatles video and some pretty rare early '70s concert footage documenting John's anti-war stance and the Attica-era music, but there's already numerous documentaries that this would be better used in.
Being done from Yoko's loving perspective is quite evident; I'm a huge Beatles fan and enjoyed Lennon's music, but I also know he had many personal insecurities, often publically rude/violent when drunk, a heavy drug-user, and of course beat his first wife and ignored Julian. Does this have bearing on the subject matter..? Not in relation to the legal issues which persecuted his stay, but it's as much relevant as some of the glossy praise that occasionally smothers what would have otherwise been a facinating look at the US Legal system, and why the White House had him on their 'hit list'.
In interviews in the late '70s, Lennon claimed that the only reason he delved into the politics during this era was because he felt guilty about being a rich rockstar. Plus in some Lennon books, it's indicated that he kept all the royalties for these songs. Very talented, funny and at times, loving and tender-hearted, but hardly the 'Working Class Hero'..
DVD Review: wow
Summary: 5 Stars
i had no idea. Nixon had nothing better to do than to hunt a musician? DVD Review: Rethinking the Life of a Great Spiritual Prophet
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a terrific glimpse of John and Yoko in the heart of the peace movement, reinterpreting their role in a fresh way.
The political footage is amazing -- from an anti-war rally at the University of Michigan to scenes from the Democratic convention in Chicago. And so is the soundtrack, filled with some of Lennon's most memorable music.
I think the film is such a fascinating slice of our often-confused cultural history that it would be an ideal discussion starter in small groups -- especially in adult discussion groups in churches. Lennon's rhetoric often seemed diametrically opposed to faith -- at least organized religion in the U.S. -- but, at the root of it, his cleansing of the rhetoric may have been a spiritually prophetic voice that we're only now coming to appreciate.
Released in 2006, the film runs 96 minutes.
Description of The U.S. vs. John Lennon
The compelling and provocative story of John Lennon's evolution from beloved Beatle to outspoken artist and activist to iconic inspiration for peace and how in the midst of one of the most tumultuous times in American history Lennon stood his ground refused to be silenced and courageously won his battle with the U.S. Government.System Requirements:Run Time: 96 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre:?DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. Rating:?PG - 13 UPC:?031398209119 Manufacturer No:?20911In retrospect, it seems absurd that the United States government felt so threatened by the presence of John Lennon that they tried to have him deported. But that's what happened, as chronicled in directors David Leaf and John Scheinfeld's The U.S. vs. John Lennon. The film starts slowly, with a familiar look at the former Beatle's troubled childhood, his outspokenness as one of the Fabs ("We're more popular now than Jesus Christ," etc.), and his eventual hookup with Yoko Ono, paralleled by the growth of political protest in '60s America, particularly against the Vietnam War. John and Yoko went on to stage their own peaceful demonstrations, like the Canadian "bed-ins," but these were largely harmless media stunts. It was when the Lennons moved to New York in the early '70s and took a more active role in the anti-war movement, making friends with radicals like Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, and Black Panther Party founder Bobby Seale, that the government got interested--and paranoid--and men like President Richard Nixon, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, and right-wing Sen. Strom Thurmond began actively looking for ways to silence him (it was Thurmond who came up with the deportation idea). That's also when the film picks up. An array of talking heads weighs in, ranging from Ono and others sympathetic to Lennon's plight (Walter Cronkite, Sen. George McGovern, even Geraldo Rivera) to those on the other side, including Watergate conspirator G. Gordon Liddy. Though The U.S. vs. John Lennon is hardly impartial, it's safe to say that although Lennon was more an idealist than an activist, he was an influential celebrity whom Nixon viewed as a potential nuisance in an election year. And even once Nixon had won the '72 presidential race, the Immigration and Naturalization Service refused to drop its case. Why? "Anybody who sings about love, and harmony, and life, is dangerous to somebody who sings about death," says author Gore Vidal. "Lennon... was a born enemy of the U.S. He was everything they hated." For music fans, Lennon's solo recordings provide the soundtrack. The DVD also contains considerable additional documentary footage. --Sam Graham
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