Dont Look Back

Last updated

Dont Look Back
Dont Look Back - Bob Dylan (1967 film poster).jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by D. A. Pennebaker
Written byD. A. Pennebaker
Produced byJohn Court
Albert Grossman
Starring Bob Dylan
Joan Baez
Alan Price
Edited byD. A. Pennebaker
Music byBob Dylan
Donovan
Production
companies
Leacock-Pennebaker, Inc.
Distributed byLeacock-Pennebaker, Inc.
Release date
  • May 17, 1967 (1967-05-17)
Running time
96 minutes
CountryUnited States

Dont [sic] Look Back is a 1967 American documentary film directed by D. A. Pennebaker that covers Bob Dylan's 1965 concert tour in England.

Contents

In 1998, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". [1] [2] In a 2014 Sight & Sound poll, film critics voted Dont Look Back the joint ninth best documentary film of all time. [3]

Synopsis

The opening scene of the film has Dylan displaying and discarding a series of cue cards bearing selected words and phrases from the lyrics to his 1965 song "Subterranean Homesick Blues" (including intentional misspellings and puns). [4] This was the first single from his most recent album, Bringing It All Back Home , and a top ten hit in the UK when he filmed it there (a fact discussed in the film). Allen Ginsberg appears in the background having a discussion with Bob Neuwirth.

The film features Joan Baez, Donovan and Alan Price (who had just left the Animals), Dylan's manager Albert Grossman and his road manager Neuwirth. Marianne Faithfull, John Mayall, Ginger Baker and Allen Ginsberg may also be glimpsed in the background. Notable scenes include:

Cast

Credited

Uncredited

Title

D. A. Pennebaker speaking at DVD re-release event on February 27, 2007 D A Pennebaker 2 by David Shankbone.jpg
D. A. Pennebaker speaking at DVD re-release event on February 27, 2007

The original title of this film is Dont Look Back, without an apostrophe in the first word. D. A. Pennebaker, the film's writer director, decided to punctuate the title this way because "It was my attempt to simplify the language". [5] Many sources, however, have assumed this to be a typographical error and have "corrected" the title to Don't Look Back. In the commentary track to the DVD release, Pennebaker said that the title came from the Satchel Paige quote, "Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you," and that Dylan shared this view.

Production

Dont Look Back was shot in black-and-white with a handheld 16mm-film camera and utilized direct sound, thus creating the template for the "rockumentary" film genre. [6] Production began when Dylan arrived in England on April 26, 1965, and ended shortly after his final UK concert at the Royal Albert Hall on May 10. [7] Pennebaker has stated that the famous "Subterranean Homesick Blues" music video that is shown at the beginning of the film was actually shot at the very end of filming. Pennebaker decided during editing to place it at the beginning of the film as a "stage" for Dylan to begin the film.

Release

The film was first shown publicly May 17, 1967, at the Presidio Theater in San Francisco, and opened that September at the 34th Street East Theater in New York.

A transcript of the film, with photographs, was published in 1968 by Ballantine Books.

Reception and legacy

Dont Look Back has been very well received by critics. It has a rating of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 55 reviews. The film received a 5-star review from AllMovie and has a Metacritic score of 84, indicating "universal acclaim". [8] In August 1967, a Newsweek reviewer wrote, "Dont Look Back is really about fame and how it menaces art, about the press and how it categorizes, bowdlerizes, sterilizes, universalizes or conventionalizes an original like Dylan into something it can dimly understand". [9] [10]

Kurt Cobain identified it as the only "good documentary about rock and roll" in a 1991 interview with his Nirvana bandmates, a sentiment with which Dave Grohl concurred. [11]

The film has been parodied and paid homage to by many other films and television shows including This Is Spinal Tap , [12] Bob Roberts , [13] and Documentary Now! . [14] The opening sequence featuring "Subterranean Homesick Blues" has likewise inspired many music videos, including INXS' "Mediate", [15] MC Evidence's "The Far Left," [16] "Weird Al" Yankovic's "Bob" [17] and Hozier's "Almost (Sweet Music)," [18] and was cited by journalist Roger Friedman as "the most copied, most revered, music video of all time". [19]

Home media

Dont Look Back has been released and re-released on home video in many formats, from VHS to Blu-ray, over the decades. A digitally remastered deluxe DVD edition was released on February 27, 2007. [20] The two-disc edition contained the remastered film, five additional audio tracks, commentary by filmmaker D. A. Pennebaker and Tour Road Manager Bob Neuwirth, an alternative version of the video for "Subterranean Homesick Blues", the original companion book edited by D. A. Pennebaker to coincide with the film's release in 1968, a flip-book for a section of the "Subterranean Homesick Blues" video, and a brand new documentary by D. A. Pennebaker and edited by Walker Lamond called 65 Revisited . The DVD packaging was also given new artwork.

On November 24, 2015, The Criterion Collection released a newly restored 4K transfer of the film on Blu-ray and DVD. [21] The Criterion version contained new special features.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donovan</span> Scottish musician (born 1946)

Donovan Phillips Leitch, known mononymously as Donovan, is a Scottish musician, songwriter and record producer. He emerged from the British folk scene in early 1965, and subsequently scored multiple international hit singles and albums during the late 1960s. His work became emblematic of the flower power era with its blend of folk, pop, psychedelic rock, and jazz stylings.

<i>Bringing It All Back Home</i> 1965 studio album by Bob Dylan

Bringing It All Back Home is the fifth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released in March 1965 by Columbia Records. In a major transition from his earlier sound, it was Dylan's first album to incorporate electric instrumentation, which caused controversy and divided many in the contemporary folk scene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D. A. Pennebaker</span> American documentary filmmaker (1925–2019)

Donn Alan Pennebaker was an American documentary filmmaker and one of the pioneers of direct cinema. Performing arts and politics were his primary subjects. In 2013, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award. Pennebaker was called by The Independent as "arguably the pre-eminent chronicler of Sixties counterculture".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Subterranean Homesick Blues</span> 1965 Bob Dylan song

"Subterranean Homesick Blues" is a song by Bob Dylan, recorded on January 14, 1965, and released as a single by Columbia Records, catalogue number 43242, on March 8. It is the first track on the album Bringing It All Back Home, released some two weeks later. It was Dylan's first Top 40 hit in the United States, peaking at number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also entered the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart. The song has subsequently been reissued on numerous compilations, the first being the 1967 singles compilation Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits. One of Dylan's first electric recordings, "Subterranean Homesick Blues" is also notable for its innovative music video, which first appeared in D. A. Pennebaker's documentary Dont Look Back. An acoustic version of the song, recorded the day before the single, was released on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 1961–1991.

<i>Renaldo and Clara</i> 1978 film by Bob Dylan

Renaldo and Clara is a 1978 American film directed by Bob Dylan and starring Bob Dylan, Sara Dylan and Joan Baez. Written by Dylan and Sam Shepard, the film incorporates three distinct film genres: concert footage, documentary interviews, and dramatic fictional vignettes reflective of Dylan's song lyrics and life.

<i>Eat the Document</i> 1972 American TV series or program

Eat the Document is a documentary of Bob Dylan's 1966 tour of parts of Europe with the Hawks. It was shot under Dylan's direction by D. A. Pennebaker, whose groundbreaking documentary Dont Look Back chronicled Dylan's 1965 British tour. The film was originally commissioned for the ABC television series ABC Stage 67.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolling Thunder Revue</span> 1975–76 concert tour by Bob Dylan

The Rolling Thunder Revue was a 1975–76 concert tour by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan with numerous musicians and collaborators. The purpose of the tour was to allow Dylan, who was a major recording artist and concert performer, to play in smaller auditoriums in less populated cities where he could be more intimate with his audiences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Neuwirth</span> American folk singer (1939–2022)

Robert John Neuwirth was an American folk singer, songwriter, record producer, and visual artist. He was noted for being the road manager and associate of Bob Dylan, as well as the co-writer of Janis Joplin's hit song "Mercedes Benz".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Grossman</span> American music manager (1926–1986)

Albert Bernard Grossman was an American entrepreneur and manager in the American folk music and rock and roll scene. He was famous as the manager of many of the most popular and successful performers of folk and folk-rock music, including Bob Dylan; Janis Joplin; Peter, Paul and Mary; the Band; Odetta; Gordon Lightfoot; and Ian & Sylvia.

<i>No Direction Home</i> 2005 documentary film by Martin Scorsese

No Direction Home: Bob Dylan is a 2005 documentary film by Martin Scorsese that traces the life of Bob Dylan, and his impact on 20th-century American popular music and culture. The film focuses on the period between Dylan's arrival in New York in January 1961 and his "retirement" from touring following his motorcycle accident in July 1966. This period encapsulates Dylan's rise to fame as a folk singer and songwriter where he became the center of a cultural and musical upheaval, and continues through the electric controversy surrounding his move to a rock style of music.

"Talkin' World War III Blues" is a song written and performed by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan that was first released as the tenth track of his 1963 album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. Like nearly every song on the album, it is performed by Dylan solo, accompanying himself on acoustic guitar and harmonica played in a rack.

Sara Dylan is an American former actress and model who was the first wife of singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. In 1959, Noznisky married magazine photographer Hans Lownds; during their marriage, she was known as Sara Lownds.

Sally Ann Grossman was an American model and the wife of Bob Dylan's one-time manager, Albert Grossman. According to some Dylan biographers, she introduced Dylan to his first wife Sara. She operated the Woodstock-based Bearsville Records following the death of her husband in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word</span> 1968 single by Joan Baez

"Love is Just a Four-Letter Word" is a song written by Bob Dylan, first recorded by Joan Baez, who has recorded and performed the song numerous times throughout her career.

<i>Festival</i> (1967 film) 1967 film by Murray Lerner

Festival is a 1967 American documentary film about the Newport Folk Festivals of the mid-1960’s, and the burgeoning counterculture movement of the era, written, produced, and directed by Murray Lerner.

<i>65 Revisited</i> 2007 American film

65 Revisited is a 2007 American documentary film directed by D. A. Pennebaker. It was made from footage the director shot for his 1967 film Dont Look Back. Both films show Bob Dylan and entourage during their 1965 concert tour of the UK. The newer film includes outtakes from its predecessor, and adds several full-length song performances.

<i>Im Not There</i> (soundtrack) 2007 soundtrack album by Various Artists

The soundtrack album for the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There was released as a double CD on October 30, 2007. It features only one recording by Dylan himself—his previously unreleased recording of the title song "I'm Not There" recorded during The Basement Tapes' sessions in 1967—plus various other artists' recordings of songs written by Dylan. These CDs do not contain the movie sound track. Fragments from less than half of the titles are heard in the film, which features more of Dylan's own recordings. The end credits relay a complete list of music heard in the film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Dylan England Tour 1965</span> 1965 concert tour by Bob Dylan

The Bob Dylan England Tour 1965 was a concert tour by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan during late April and early May 1965. The tour was documented by filmmaker D. A. Pennebaker, who used the footage of the tour in his documentary Dont Look Back.

<i>Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese</i> 2019 film directed by Martin Scorsese

Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese is a 2019 American documentary film, composed of both fictional and non-fictional material, covering Bob Dylan's 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue concert tour. Directed by Martin Scorsese, it is the director's second film on Bob Dylan, following 2005's No Direction Home. The bulk of Rolling Thunder Revue is compiled of outtakes from Dylan's 1978 film Renaldo and Clara, which was filmed in conjunction with the tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob ("Weird Al" Yankovic song)</span> 2003 "Weird Al" Yankovic song

"Bob" is a song by "Weird Al" Yankovic from the 2003 album, Poodle Hat. The song is a parody sung in the style of Bob Dylan, and all of the lyrics are palindromes as is the title. For example, the song's first line is "I, man, am regal—a German am I", which reads the same when reversed.

References

  1. "Hooray for Hollywood (December 1998) - Library of Congress Information Bulletin". www.loc.gov. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  2. "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  3. "Silent film tops documentary poll". BBC News. August 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  4. Films, Pennebaker Hegedus (April 12, 2013). "DONT LOOK BACK (1967) – Trailer" . Retrieved June 20, 2020 via Vimeo.
  5. Sounes, Howard, 2001, Down The Highway: The Life Of Bob Dylan, Doubleday, p. 171.
  6. "Don't Look Back, Bob Dylan and the invention of the rockumentary". the Guardian. May 17, 2016. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  7. "Still On The Road 1965". bjorner.com. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  8. Bob Dylan: Dont Look Back , retrieved February 17, 2022
  9. Gilliland, John (1969). "Show 40 – Ballad in Plain D: Bob Dylan. [1966] : UNT Digital Library" (audio). Pop Chronicles . Digital.library.unt.edu. Retrieved April 29, 2011.
  10. "Dont Look Back (1967)". Thefilmchair.com. January 16, 2007. Retrieved April 29, 2011.
  11. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : Nirvana - Interview about the movie Singles in 1992, January 15, 2014, retrieved April 10, 2021
  12. "11 Things You Didn't Know About 'Spinal Tap'". HuffPost. March 11, 2014. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  13. "Bob Roberts DVD review | Cine Outsider". www.cineoutsider.com. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  14. "'Documentary Now!' a spoof on docs by 'SNL' alums Seth Meyers, Bill Hader and Fred Armisen". Daily News. August 14, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  15. chrishewitt (June 7, 2018). "5 best odes to Bob Dylan's iconic cue card video for 'Subterranean Homesick Blues'". Star Tribune. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  16. Weingarten, Christopher R. (March 30, 2010). "Is Bob Dylan Hip-Hop's Godfather? His Ties to Beasties, Roots, More". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  17. "Weird Al's best non-parody songs". We Got This Covered. January 20, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  18. "Interview: Hozier – "At Worst The World Will Sing Along" - The 13th Floor". 13thfloor.co.nz. April 14, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  19. "Happy 94th Birthday to DA Pennebaker the Greatest Documentary Filmmaker, Lifetime Oscar Recipient". Showbiz411. July 15, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  20. Amazon.com: Bob Dylan – Don't Look Back (1965 Tour Deluxe Edition): Bob Neuwirth, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Nico, Albert Grossman, Alan Price, Tito Burns, Donovan,Derroll Adams, Chris Ellis (III), Marianne Faithfull, Terry Ellis (II), Jones Alk, Allen Ginsberg, Brian Pendleton (II),Howard Alk, John Mayall, D. A. Pennebaker: Movies & TV
  21. "Dont Look Back (1967) – The Criterion Collection" . Retrieved February 16, 2016.

Literature