Saturday, January 30, 2010
Exodus 77: A Film Essay
Sometimes a structural idea or dichotomy for a work is better than its final outcome. Yet that is not to say it is wholly unsuccessful, especially if it provokes thought I believe this is the case with Exodus 77, a film that takes a unique approach to the life, times and influence of Bob Marley. This is another episode of the BBC Arena series that the NW Film Center has brought in as part of its most recent Reel Music Festival.
The film is framed by two significant dates and events in the life of Bob Marley: December 3 1976 when he is attacked in a attempted assassination attempt and April 22 1977 when he gets arch political Michael Manley and Edward Seaga to join hands before 100,00 in a concert known as One Love Peace. What happens in between is 1977, the Marley's year of exodus to and exile in England.
During that year he records and releases Exodus. It still stands as probably Marley's strongest album and in Wall's film is portrayed as the work that raises him to a cultural figure and even a kind of prophet. Just as Arena did with The Agony and Ecstacy of Phil Spector a few years later, it integrates and mixes up a few key elements to reflect on its subject. In this case the elements are newsreel footage, unidentified commentary from a wide range of Brits and Jamaicans who talk about the impact that Marley had on their lives, concert and interview footage of Marley, and, unfortunately, some footage which feels interminable of the dedication of a plaque at a home that Marley lived during his first extended London stay in 1972. (Little kids reading essays about Bob Marley? Aaagh!)
The really cool structural idea that almost works is using each track of the Exodus album to represent a month in 1977. Against each track we see Jimmmy Carter's first year in office, lots of activities connected to the Silver Jubilee Celebration of Queen Elizabeth and the death of Elvis among other events set against Marley's tunes. So what if Exodus only had ten tracks. No problem--throw in Punky Reggae Party against the footage of punks on King's Road (77 was a huge year for Punk) and if one plays Natural Mystic the first track again, there is a full year represented.
I believe that if it had been tightened up to an hour instead of its ninety minute run time, it could have been a lot more successful, but I love the almost audacious structure of this thing. I walked away thinking about what a year, what an album, and what a life. And that is success enough.
posted by well-executed buffet at 5:42 PM
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