Imagine: John Lennon

Forget the unmistakable legend of the Beatles for about two hours! This one is entirely about John! I give kudos to the producers who show how this complex and fascinating artist was also a brilliant man and a wonderful human being with strengths as well as frailties! Just listening to and watching the people from John's life (his two wives and sons especially) as they talk about him clearly shows how much they not only loved him, but that they miss him terribly. I went out and rented this film for the first time in years last December around the 20th anniversary of John's cruel and senseless murder! I loved seeing him triumph over the crooked Nixon White House in the latter's attempt to deport him. I also had to smile when the so-called "lost weekend" was over and he was back with Yoko, which only got better with Sean's birth! I found myself touched by the scene where he tells the vagrant the truth behind his songwriting, and then invites him in for a meal. I never met John personally, but after seeing this film I felt like I knew him. By the time the film got to the footage of the Lennons walking in Central Park shortly before his death, I cringed when I heard John's recorded voice saying "...until I'm dead and buried; and I hope that's a long, long time". The slowed-down footage against the background music of the crescendo coda of "A Day In The Life" leading up to the tragic event was well-edited and made its desired impact (the glasses falling and shattering on the cement). Then the newsreel footage of the mourners from around the world. As a fan of John's, I didn't have to look at that footage for very long before losing my composure and feeling the profound sense of loss I felt years ago when it happened. In short, I cried long and hard. I won't give the son of a bitch who shot him the satisfaction of mentioning his name. He is the lowest form of life on earth, and this film does John justice by not giving any mention of his name either. Those who love John will love this film. It doesn't portray him as a big shot rock star! It portrays him as I think he wanted to be seen: as a vulnerable human being, just like us!

In 1987, seven years after John Lennon's tragic murder, a book came out. I've forgotten the title and the author, but it portrayed Lennon VERY negatively. It showed him as a cruel, egotistical monster who abused drugs and alcohol up to his death. The book was written by somebody who had never talked to anybody who knew Lennon. Yoko Ono was shocked and pushed to have this documentary made to set the record straight.

It's full of home movies, news footage, videos all narrated by John Lennon himself (he recorded over 200 hours talking about his life and work). It's not a whitewash of him--it does point out he was a mean drunk and he is shown swearing and telling off Phil Spector in a recording studio when a song was not working out. It also chronicles his remark about the Beatles being "bigger than Jesus Christ" and totally ignores how horribly he treated his first wife Cynthia. But, aside from that footage, there is also interviews with Johns wives, his children and, basically, everyone who knew him (curiously, none of the Beatles were interviewed). He comes across as a very talented, peace-loving man--he has his dark moments but everybody does. His confrontations with Al Capp and Gloria Emerson are just fascinating.

I remember seeing this in a theatre in 1988 and most of the audience walked out crying. 15 years later the ending still packs a punch. It shows people crying at the peace rallies held after Lennon's death and ends with the "Imagine" video him and Yoko did. Also "In My Life" plays over the closing credits. A fascinating, very moving documentary of a great man. Recommended.

"Imagine" is an excellent look at John Lennon, as a young boy, a rocker, a Beatle, an advocate, a husband, a father, and finally, as a legend.

For those (like my sister) who dislike Yoko Ono and blame her for breaking up the Beatles, Yoko is present, but there is plenty else here.

John Lennon isn't an easy man to figure out, and I don't think this documentary tried to. Rather, it attempted to show all sides of him - the Beatle, the drug side, the sketch artist, his attempt to distance himself from the Beatles, stating that he had grown up, his musical journey, his hard-headedness, demands as a musician - the whole thing. One of the nicest scenes is one in which he speaks with a vagrant about his music and then has him come in for a meal. So with all his preaching about peace and being one in the world, he walked the talk.

Lennon provides a lot of the narration, which is taken from hundreds of interviews. There are also interviews with Yoko, Sean, Julian, his ex-wife Cynthia, and others.

If you grew up with the Beatles as I did and mourn the death of John Lennon as I do, or even if you just like his contribution to music, this is a very good look at the Beatles' most off-beat and possibly most brilliant member - a man who continually searched for an identity that kept changing.

It revolves around the recording of song "Imagine" as well as the album of the same name in 1971. It is narrated by Lennon from tons of interviews he gave. After the scene is set, it goes back to the beginning of The Beatles and and see many familiar clips of performances of "Twist And Shout", "From Me To You" and "Help".

The most fascinating part of this documentary are rare home movies of John at home and of some news segments probably not seen since they were aired. A striking scene shows where an obsessed fan found his way to John's England estate. The young man is confused and may be on drugs but believes John's songs are speaking directly to him, asking him the meaning behind his "I Dig A Pony" song, John tells him it was just playing around with words, literally a nonsense song. John gently tells him the songs should not be mixed up with his own life and offers the guy something to eat.

John is gentle when dealing with his fans, but he can have a temper when dealing with technicians in a recording session, or reporters who say they miss "the old Beatles". It sure is intriguing stuff for any Beatles fan and definitely worth your time.

..... and I'm still thinking of what we lost twenty -six years ago.When I think of all the great songs that never were...

The film begins with the wistful tuneful "real love" which the three other Beatles reworked on the second volume of the anthologies . It's a pretty good documentary although it does not really do the great artist justice.The most interesting moment is the argument with cartoonist Al Capp -who had already made a satirical comic strip about Joan Baez (Joanie Phonie) and was not probably exactly what people called "liberal" - But there are also interesting scenes during the "imagine" album sessions.

Released at the same time as the obnoxious Goldman's trashy book -which I also read and found disgusting-,"Imagine' is a must for any Lennon fan.But once again,THE film about the working class hero remains to be made.