Lennon: Some Time in New York City

2010 New York Film Festival
Film Society of Lincoln Center

LENNONYC (written/directed by Michael Epstein) USA. 2010. 115 minutes.

Two Lefts Don't Make A Right Production, Dakota Group LTD and THIRTEEN's American Masters in association with WNET.ORG for PBS

Documentary director/producer Michael Epstein's latest work for the PBS American Masters series explores the final decade in the life of John Lennon, from the turbulent, creative 1970s through his murder in December of 1980. Epstein selected this period--Lennon's arrival in New York City, his disastrous exile in LA and his return to New York and redemptive reunion with Yoko Ono--because he wanted to avoid rehashing already well-covered material about Lennon's youth and the Beatles era. "I wanted to give you a John you hadn't heard before," he said in a post-screening Q&A. "I wanted people to feel they were a fly on the wall in the studio."

The film probes a time of intense possibility and equally intense pressure for Lennon and Ono. With American students rising to protest the Vietnam War, the peace-loving, outspoken couple found themselves increasingly at the forefront of activism. As long as their contributions might make a difference, Lennon said, "we were willing to be the world's clowns," tuning artistry to politics and politics to theater, inspired by radical colleagues like Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin. Threatened by the prospect of an eloquent, charismatic celebrity of Lennon's magnitude at the helm of an increasingly militant movement, Nixon's administration and the FBI tracked the couple's every move, even spying on their musicians (Elephant's Memory). A four-year fight against an order of deportation ensued, taking its toll on Lennon's emotional health and his marriage.

LENNONYC, for most of its two hours, is a fast-swirling flood of sound and footage, occasionally enhanced by Brian Oakes's simple line graphics that recall Lennon's own love of doodling. The editing, by Ed Barteski and Deborah Peretz, is fierce; the film moves faster than you might expect from a documentary, and it rocks, too, with a selection of music that's just right, never obvious. There's pleasure for the eye as well, both in some of the original footage and photography and in the transformative arrangements of these materials.

You're guided through all this heady stuff by numerous interviewees who worked with and revered Lennon or whose own work or activism brought them into close contact with him. Friends and associates like Elton John, photographer Bob Gruen, producer/engineer Roy Cicala, radio host Dennis Elsas, television host Dick Cavett, and the guys from the rollicking, down-and-dirty Elephant's Memory offer insights into Lennon's creativity, disappointments, alcoholism and relationship with Ono and with their son, Sean. These clips never feel like talking heads interviews. Each one contributes essential, sometimes quite entertaining parts of the story.

Ono, who is also interviewed, gave full blessings to this project, and it depicts her, as both person and artist, with respect and compassion. Epstein did consult with her and accept suggestions, he says, but Ono exerted no control over his film--something that would greatly surprise her many critics. The film's interpretation of Lennon and Ono's bond is generous, to be sure, yet it can't help but raise questions about the addictive, medicating and yet potentially healing qualities of romance.

LENNONYC loses some steam towards its end with the victorious resolution of the couple's legal problems and the birth of Sean. In a way, this makes sense. "Hard times are over," as Ono sang on Double Fantasy (1980). There's no more conflict or dysfunction to propel the narrative. Lennon evolves into a sober, loyal and feminist husband, a loving dad who stays home, bakes bread, teaches his son to swim and is as content as can be. Ono, for her part, has developed business skills because Lennon is simply no good at that sort of thing. New York is a wondrous place to live, to be in love, to raise a kid.

We know the rest of the story. Epstein touches on the tragedy through the anguished faces of people holding vigil outside the Dakota and through interviews with Ono and Lennon's friends. He omits, however, the murderer's name and avoids dwelling on the particulars of his heinous act, refusing to dignify him with more attention than he has already received. At the Q&A, he called that "part of the shitty fame machine."

Epstein's closing remarks left us to wonder how Lennon--courageous and clever activist--might have addressed the current political flare-up around immigration in the US.

'John's story is an example of what makes America special," he said. "We don't share a common past, but what we share is a common vision for our future."

Public screenings:

Saturday, September 25, 9pm
Alice Tully Hall, 65th Street (Broadway/Amsterdam), Manhattan

Saturday, September 25, 10:30pm
Walter Reade Theater, 65th Street (Broadway/Amsterdam), Manhattan

PBS premiere: Monday, November 22, 9pm ET (Check local listings.)

Information and ticketing

Complete NYFF information (September 24-October 10)