For all of us who love John Lennon and his music, 2010 has been a year of special anniversaries. Earlier this year, we celebrated the 70th anniversary of his birth in Liverpool, and with it the memory of how the Beatles changed the world — and us — and how Lennon continued to make honest, brave and provocative music after the great band split apart. But we also must return to that terrible evening 30 years ago, on Dec. 8, 1980, when Lennon was slain outside his apartment building in New York City. “Lennon NYC,” a documentary about his solo career, his love of New York City and his life in the United States after the breakup of the Beatles, brings back a rush of these memories. This fine work, written and directed by Michael Epstein, aired on PBS stations last month and will be released on DVD this week.
Much of this story is familiar, of course, to the legions of Lennon fans. It’s a story that has been told well in previous documentaries. “Imagine: John Lennon,” from 1988, placed the emphasis on the personal side of his life, especially his sometimes-tumultuous relationship with his wife, Yoko Ono, and his adoration for his young son, Sean. “The U.S. vs. John Lennon,” from 2006, focused more on his activism against the Vietnam War and the difficult and long struggle he fought to avoid the deportation sought by the administration of Richard Nixon.
“Lennon NYC” attempts to synthesize the key elements of these two earlier films. It provides information about his family life, solo recordings, politics and the deportation case, while adding previously little-seen home movies and rarely heard interviews and recording-studio banter, as well as concert footage, photographs and new interviews with many of those who knew him.
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| ‘Lennon NYC’ |
| » Studio: A&E Home Entertainment |
| » Rating: Not Rated |
| » Price: $24.95 |
As its title indicates, the new film emphasizes Lennon and Ono’s love of New York City, a place where they found artistic freedom and a semblance of a private life following their harassment by the British tabloid press before, during and after the Beatles’ demise. In a radio interview, Lennon explained why he was contesting the deportation: “I love it here. That’s why I’m fighting so much to stay here in New York. Maybe they could just ban me from Ohio, or something.” He added, “I’d like to live here. I don’t harm anybody. I’ve got a bit of a loud mouth, that’s about all. I certainly think there’s room for an odd Lennon or two here.”
Ultimately, we’re left with grief. I know many still share a profound sadness over the fact that not only was Lennon murdered, he was murdered in America, his adopted country, and in New York, his adopted city. He chose to live with us, and that got him killed.
But we still have his music. And in “Lennon NYC,” we have a documentary showing why he still means so much.
