Review of The U.S. vs. John Lennon (2006) by Horrorgrrrl — 01 Oct 2006

I like John Lennon more than I dislike him... but the high ratings this movie has received are proof that people too often base their opinions of such material on simplistic political sympathies rather than objective assessment of filmmaking prowess.

This is a very poorly put together documentary. For all its talk of the Vietnam war, it doesn't even acknowledge its end... or the reason it was fought in the first place. As for John Lennon's answer? Peace.

Well, peace is an objective not a solution... it's not a plan. And never does Lennon address the intricacies of the war, he just grows his hair and stays in his bed... and eventually shares that bed, figuratively speaking, with the same radical figures who comprise 80% of the interviews.

Peace is an objective few would disagree with. It's like saying you're in favor of beautiful scenery and clear skies. What peace is not is a sophisticated answer to sometimes complicated problems.

This film entirely avoids discussing actual issues in any kind of substantive manner. Is peace the answer to the rise of the Nazis? John Lennon's rise from humble beginnings would have been far more fascinating than this documentary - it is a 5-minute segment that has been stretched to almost two hours.

I was moved by the ending, when I got to see him with his son... got to see the joyful life he was living with wife and child, a life taken far too soon. John's love story was far more powerful than his over-hyped battle with the American government.

This is an example of how NOT to make a documentary.