Review of Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage (2021) by Christianz — 10 Aug 2021

Let’s get to it: This is not a definitive accounting of a sprawling, stupidly organized gathering of a few hundred thousand people on a jet-black tarmac of a monolithic abandoned military base in July of 1999 for the purpose of mosh pitting, deliberately busting sewage pipes, sexual assaulting seemingly every woman in attendance, tearing down equipment and burning it while dancing about like witches at a coven.

Yeah, it was a 95% white male crowd hoping to reenact Lord of the Flies by the end. That’s the reality some don’t want to see. Too bad. That happened, too. But then, nothing could be could be definitive.

Such an event can’t be summarized in 2 hours. What is clear is that the organizers were completely out of their depth and past their prime. This doc isn’t fair to everyone (Fred Durst is a semi-literate jag but he did care about the crowd) but they certainly give the organizers a chance to explain themselves.

And boy do they, in some of the most arrogant, crude, and dismissive soundbites imaginable. They blame everyone- MTV, Fred Durst, Brad Pitt, topless women, the list goes on- but never once do they self-reflect and say, “We certainly could have made sure water was allowed in the event.

Maybe food would have been a good idea. Yeah, working, safe, private showers might have been handy. Working toilets that can handle such a mass of people? I guess that should’ve been there.” You had a good time if you were there? Great.

Your experience is yours. This film is about the big picture. If decades have a way of repeating themselves, look for an even uglier record of the end of the 2020s.