Students only familiar with singer, songwriter and one-time Beatles member John Lennon may find the title of the new documentary that bears his name a bit confounding.
The U.S. vs. John Lennon?
There must be a typo. The producers must have meant “and” rather than “vs.”After all, this is John Lennon, a foreign product as widely welcomed in America as french fries. The poster of him in his iconic glasses and sleeveless shirt with “New York City” branded across the front is plastered in dozens of dorm rooms on the campus.
The Beatles are the top-selling artists of all-time in America, for Pete’s sake.And yet there “vs.” is, flashing on movie theater displays nationwide. But the error in the film’s title is not what it includes but what it omits: The letter “g,” as in U.S.G., or United States government. In events unknown to many young fans of Lennon’s music but stressed in The U.S. vs. John Lennon, the federal government – namely President Richard Nixon and FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover – persistently sought to deport the British Lennon for the anti-war fervor he stirred during the dog days of Vietnam.
The film flows well as it chronologically traces Lennon’s presence in America from the 1960s to the early 1970s. Although the film has no narrator, various scenes are linked together using Lennon’s voice from archival footage. Among those chipping in their two cents are former broadcaster Walter Cronkite, newsman Geraldo Rivera and former Nixon administration official G. Gordon Liddy.
David Leaf and John Scheinfeld, who wrote, directed and produced the documentary, have a history of covering music stars (Bette Midler, Elton John and the Bee Gees have all been their subjects). That background, as opposed to one more similar to Oliver Stone’s, pays off in this film.
Leaf and Scheinfeld attempt to explain how and why Lennon the musician became Lennon the activist, but there are no overt political messages here. Instead, the theme stresses tolerance of artistic creativity and license, promoted and embraced by a democratic government like that of the United States.
The documentary does dip into the political realm but more so out of necessity than desire. Former government officials from both sides sound off on Lennon’s intentions and actions and the government’s tracking of them.
For all its interesting archival footage and discussion on Lennon’s life, there are only two real qualms with the movie. Some tangible proof is offered as support (for example, a letter from Sen. Strom Thurmond to the White House suggesting Lennon’s visa be terminated), but the movie relies too much on anecdotal evidence to make its case against the U.S. government. Hiring a researcher to prove some claims would have strengthened the film.
Also, the filmmakers should have turned the volume down on Yoko Ono, Lennon’s widow. Granted, she was by his side during this tumultuous period and arguably knew him best. But that’s what all of the Lennon footage is for – to hear the story straight from the horse’s mouth. Ono yaps incessantly and ends up as annoying and irrepressible as a cowlick.
All in all, The U.S. vs. John Lennon is an easily digestible history lesson that should be amenable to the fickle palates of college students, even if it’s only because the big bad government gets taken down by a skinny singer who dreams of peace.
*** out of 4 stars
Contact reporter Brendan Lowe at lowedbk@gmail.com.
