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Ang Lee’s Taking Woodstock goes deep into how this music festival, which bred a whole new generation of hippies, happened,
writes Ervell E. Menezes
The late-1960s has come to be known as a decade of change, what with moon-landing, the anti-Vietnam riots, flower power and rock music, especially 1969. It was also responsible for the biggest music extravaganza in history — Woodstock. Warner Bros made a documentary on it within a year and ripples of that feast still lingers with rock music lovers. Almost four decades later, filmmaker Ang Lee traces the origin of that historic event, a glorious celebration from August 15-18 in which over 30 artistes and groups participated in the countryside outside New York. But Taking Woodstock is not about the performers and music lovers will in a way be disappointed not to see the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, Joan Baez (dedicating her song to her unborn child, pointing to her belly) and The Who. It goes deep into how this music festival happened. Elliott (Demetri Martin) is wondering how he can save his sinking gamily motel ‘El Monaco’ located near a dairy farm just outside the town of Woodstock. The vast open space was inviting. Cut to three weeks later and half a million folks land there, their hearts and minds throbbing with high-wattage sound generated by the liberated music that made the area a virtual haven for the ‘make love, not war’ generation. Long hair, unbathed and uninhibited they were in a sort of trance in what is today referred to as Woodstock. In the periphery John Wayne’s True Grit was playing in the local cinemas, the film which won The Duke, a much-delayed Best Actor Oscar. The TV screens were blasting news of the moon-landing, the anti-Vietnam riots and the Paris student uprising but all that turmoil was far, far away from this idyllic setting. And action director Ang Lee does well to leave no stone unturned in getting related stories from some of the folks who are still around to speak in awe of that great happening. Schamus screenplay focusses on the central character Elliott and his contribution to the event. It uses the rock festival to bring out his personal transformation, even liberation from the claws of the System. And Elliott was not the only one. It bred a whole new generation of hippies who were struck with a dream. We lived through that era so there is a touch of nostalgia but even for the generation next it will be no less fascinating. It is like a fresh whiff of hippie ambience. So lap it up when you can.
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