Les États-Unis contre John Lennon

For those who are too young to remember the real John Winston Ono Lennon -- this film is a good introduction to why he mattered so, why so many people were (and are) devoted to him as an artist and a man, why he was truly the most original voice of his generation.

The film is not perfect -- but in its defense, it covers an extraordinary amount of material and does it well.

Lennon lived 100 lifetimes between 1969 and 1975.

This film concentrates on the biggest conflict he faced at that time: his struggles to remain in the US, and the right-wing paranoia (exemplified by FBI director J Edgar Hoover and Nixon's hatchet man, John Ehrlichman.)

Lennon's sincerity, his naiveté, his charisma shine throughout.

Yoko has been attacked (so what else is new) for being such a strong presence in the film but she was right there beside him. They lived it all together. And she does not use her camera time to diminish him in any way.

Strong recommendation -- primarily because we have to remind ourselves that there are times to speak up and times to act.

John Lennon: we miss you so.

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

During the 1960s, John Lennon was one part of The Beatles, still almost certainly the most successful British band today. But it was also the time of the Vietnam war and of the 'flower power' generation, which he got very much caught up in, much to the furore of the Nixon administration. This film follows John's escapades during this time, from his peace activist activities, his romance with conceptual artist Yoko Ono who showed him some far-out methods of drawing attention to his cause, his 'stay in bed' crusade after the failure of flower power, his support of the Black Panthers, his far out views on materialism and spirituality and, of course, the Nixon administration's paranoia about his influence on the youth of America at the time, which lead to them tapping his phone and having him followed and, eventually, attempting to get him deported on a bullsh!t possession of marijuanna charge.

Although many of Nixon's worries concerning Lennon were probably a load of hot air, it's doubtless the huge role the man played in inspiring a generation of young people to adopt the ideals of peace and love for your fellow man, which the Nixon administration, hell-bent on sending many young men off to die for a cause they didn't understand let alone believe in, was understandably rattled about. And so it's an interesting idea to make a documentary like this, highlighting the huge influence the man had and the increasingly drastic steps that were taken to try and put a dent in it. Talking heads include figures from the FBI, those caught up in the peace demonstrations, a platoon leader in Vietnam as well as Yoko Ono herself and the then leader of the Black Panthers. It all makes for a very interesting and revealing expose of events involving Lennon at the time, and it all plays out in much this way too. The one problem is that it veers off course from the source material at the time in some parts, leaving the theme of Nixon's harassment of Lennon and playing more like your typical biography of Lennon's life and, in turn, becomes a little meandering and boring, especially towards the end.

Nonetheless, it certainly doesn't fail as a documentary and still maintains an interesting and relevant theme through-out that Lennon enthusiasts and others as well will be very interested in seeing. ***

Imagine, for a moment, you could do anything. What would you do? Already at the height of his career, the sheer scale of possibilities before John Lennon amazed even this high-aspiring rebel. Triggered in no small part by his meeting with Yoko Ono, a conceptual artist obsessed with breaking down barriers, Lennon had to decide if there was a greater purpose to which he could devote his musical talent, fame and fortune. Mass protests against the Vietnam War were sweeping America. Lennon's aspiration became quite simple (some would say simplistic): let's give peace a chance. The U.S. vs. John Lennon uses previously unreleased archive footage, plus documentation obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, to chart this ex-Beatle's political activism and his struggle with the U.S. authorities in the late 60's and early 1970's.

It's a remarkable tour de force. Many people know Lennon as an ex-Beatle, for his song Imagine and the fact that he got shot. The extent of his political activism, the method in his apparent madness, would seem more like another conspiracy theory in less capable hands. Lennon's efforts seem directly linked (initially) to getting another activist out of jail and then making sure the war-bent presidency, White House and FBI lose lots of sleep over the war.

Directors Leaf and Scheinfeld are past masters at making serious pop culture retrospectives. In an age of technology and spin, how do we know 'documentary' filmmakers are telling us facts? Firstly, what's on the film. There are interviews with high-ranking former government and FBI agents. Then there are declassified documents, not just quoted but shown on the screen. Finally there is the official website which provides an external way of checking transparency and sources once you get home. If you thought Lennon was a cool guy - or maybe even your childhood hero - this film shows how incredibly cool - and courageous - he actually was.

Says director Scheinfeld: "We live in a time where everything's a reality show. John and Yoko were essentially pioneers in that, but they weren't using it to promote an album. They weren't using it to promote a movie. They weren't doing it to promote anything except peace and that's what makes them heroic artists here. And then to have the courage to stand up to the power of the United States - the presidency, the White House, the FBI and the INS . . ." Lennon's song 'Give Peace a Chance' became the national anthem of the anti-war movement. He linked up with other activists (including the Black Panther movement) using his public persona - and often his own money - to synchronise the peaceful protests and give them such force that, at the point where Nixon was campaigning for re-election, Lennon had been singled out for deportation. He backed down over personal appearances at an anti-Nixon concert tour (which would follow the latter's campaign trail) as government officials stepped up the campaign of harassment against him with wiretapping and surveillance. Rightly or wrongly, Lennon feared for his life. This was a time when the Secret Services had the authority to take people out if deemed in the national interest.

The website documentation shows how the Reagan administration continued to obstruct release of information on Lennon even in April 1981. The FBI cited its authority under the Freedom of Information Act to withhold "information which is currently and properly classified . . . in the interest of the national defense or foreign policy." The downside of the film is that many people simply won't care. Gore Vidal takes a modern sideswipe at Bush and Iraq, but the comparison is weak. Vietnam was not preceded by a 9/11 or a Pearl Harbour and the united opposition to the Vietnam War was on an unprecedented level: protests turned into riots, several civilians were shot, and the powers of the government were far reaching even by today's standards. Although the film sometimes plays like a top-notch TV documentary, the levels of professionalism shown by the filmmakers set it apart. It's also an unsung paean to the most important part of Lennon's life and what he would no doubt like to be remembered for. He might not have been Gandhi, but there was more to him than the wacky, druggy rockstar most of us remember.

"You may say that I'm a dreamer, But I'm not the only one," wrote Lennon.

It reminded me of another famous saying: "All men dream: but not equally . . . the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible." The U.S. vs. John Lennon is more than a testament to John Lennon. It is the story of how one man tried to make his dreams reality.

I was in high school in 1980 when John Lennon was assassinated and all I really knew about him was that he was a musician and a member of the Beatles. I found this documentary fascinating, which gave an excellent insight into Lennon's participation in and effect on the anti-war movement in the US during the Vietnam War. I came away with a greater respect of the man and what he tried to do along with with his wife and the pressures they faced from the US government who wanted to silence them. Although some parts were something of a rehash about the anti-war movement in general, the skillful editing along with use of numerous interviews and recorded material still made it enjoyable and informative. One can not help but draw a comparison between this film and message and the on-going debate over the Iraq war, which I suspect was one of the goals of those who made it. I saw this film at a suburban Washington DC theater this weekend, and when one of the interviewees said "John Lennon represented light, and Mr. Nixon and Mr. Bush represented death" at least half the audience clapped. I guess it made its point to this audience. If you get a chance to see it, I highly recommend it.

I hope everyone sees this film, as it is a window into the life of an extraordinary person, who really did influence a generation with his music and his courage. But, I especially hope that the generations that came after John Lennon left us, so unexpectedly, have a chance to see this thoughtful and fitting tribute to the gentle artist who turned the hurt he experienced as a child into an international revolution with a spirit so open and willing to risk everything he had to teach the world that all we really need is love. This film explains to all of us, who were too young to understand what was going on, at the time, how John Lennon was persecuted by the U.S. government for simply expressing his opinion about the war in Viet Nam. How he was investigated, tapped, and followed, then threatened with deportation, in an effort to derail a tour that might have had a significant influence on the outcome of the 1972 presidential election, in which Richard Nixon was re-elected. The scenes of teenagers burning their Beatles records in protest of his quip that the Beatles had become more popular than Jesus, are eerily parallel with the Dixie Chicks fans who did the same thing. Excerpts from Nixon's speeches about the war are almost word-for-word the same rhetoric we get from Bush. This film is important, and moving, and includes some of the best music I know I'll ever hear in this lifetime. Go see it and get inspired.