Review of When You're Strange (2010) by Zak S — 28 Aug 2010

In it's 1 hour 30 minutes duration Tom DiCillo acclaimed film dcumentary makers When You're Strange communicate far more than Oliver Stone's self indulgent wet dream could ever do.

Don't get me wrong I enjoy Stone's film and watching the real Jim Morrison you realise how well a young Val Kilmer nailed is take on the lizard king but the film while an assault on the senses and managing to capture the energy of a rock concert, is hampered by Stone's tendency to be inventive with the truth and just show Morrison the asshole drunk and drug addict making it an impressive but missed oppurtunity that finds hardly any focus for the other members of the band despite fine but underused performance from Kyle, McLachlan, Frank Whalley & Kevin Dillon's as Manzarek, Kreiger and Densmore.

DiCillo film utilising vintage footage only and although eventually focusing on Morrison's downfall showcases plenty on the other members who in their own right were a talented group of musicians. Ray Manzarek played the dual role of not only the organ player, he also simultaneously filled the job of the absent base player on his instrument as well, combining the 2 effortlessly to contrbute towards that distinctive Doors sound. Robbie Krieger no slouch a gifted guitar player who's bottle neck trademark was as important as Ray's keys as well as writing the Band's biggest and most famous hit" Light My Fire". All held together by John Densmore's superb drumming all ready Jazz trained before joining.

Dicillo can't help but play up to the mystique of Morrison's legacy by opening his film by footage of an alive Morrison cruising through a dessert while listening to news of his death in Paris then rewinding the story back to briefly touch on Jim's childhood and his brief time at UCLA to Morrison's famous meeting with Manzarek on Venice beach where he shares the opening lyrics to Moonlight Drive and Ray been blown away Morrison's unique poetic style. The film while focusing on the band ascent touches briefly on Jim's family who he declares dead to the media. Hearing that their hypnotic debut only took 5 days to record, to be quickly followed by the almost as brilliant Strange Days seems remarkable in these days of Axl Rose taking 14 years to deliver the lacklustre bloated Chinese Democracy.

The real footage of Jim conveys far more than any Stone's film ever did, witnessing the initially shy then fame addicted frontman as a the magnetic Shamen with also more personal scenes hinting at his insecurities and gentler side. Decillo great use of footage of the band live reminding what an incredble live experience they were in their prime but also also not afraid to touch on the other members dealing with Morrison's addiction and how it impacted on their music, footage of a drunken Morrison during the sessions for their least artistically successful 4th album The Soft Parade as well as documenting the 2 famous arrests most infamously the Miami Dade county although never documented obscentity charge where Morrison alledgedy exposed his penis.

Although interestingly enough even though it was the beginning of the end for Morrison they still managed to deliver Morrison Hotel and then their last studio album with Morrison the superb L.A Woman. Decillo vintage footage is aided by a very dry Johnny Depp filling the role of the narrator.

The film does a great job of conveying the time with the Vietnam war in full flow and the youth of America ralling against the injustice of it, choosing to document Morrison's addiction but not let it take the spot light entire not sensationalising it but simply telling it as it is through the footage and Depp's narration and the music of The Doors. The most, fascinating, real and indepth film about one of America's most original and hypnotic bands, that will thrill fans and the newcomers alike.