Review of Pete Seeger: The Power of Song (2007) by Alan J — 30 Oct 2007

One of the most effective examples I've seen of the often dry documentary-biopic form. The interview subjects speak with real passion about the man and his work, turning the talking-headiness into an asset rather than a hindrance.

And Seeger himself is a startlingly powerful presence, both in archival footage from his younger years and in the present-day interviews conducted with the man and several generations of his multiracial family.

The footage of his impassioned musical performances is truly what the word "inspiring" was invented to describe: he puts our modern-day notions of irony and cynicism to shame, to say nothing of the unabashedly profit-driven musical acts that dominate our contemporary pop culture.

A trip to the local indie theater (if you're fortunate enough to have access to such a thing) that I promise you will not regret.