Don't Look Back
96 minutes,
USA (1967),
Average user rating 
(5 / 4 votes)
(5 / 4 votes)
Remarkable documentary portrait of Bob Dylan's 1965 tour of Britain
Director:
Don't Look Back Review
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Remarkable documentary portrait of Bob Dylan's 1965 tour of Britain
The Bob Dylan fans who insist that their hero be viewed as nothing less than a deity need this in their video collection to remind themselves how human Dylan is. Petulant and arrogant, he sulks his way through the infamous 1965 tour of Britain without the slightest hint of charm. It is not all his fault, as he is surrounded by fans, press and assorted hangers on, all either sycophants or idiots.
Accused of being a Judas for playing an electric guitar and having a band, Dylan clearly does not want to be part of any of this, and it is hard to blame him.
Veteran documentary maker and 'direct' cinema pioner Pennebaker manages to cull a fascinating film from the most reluctant of subjects by exploiting that gulf between how Dylan saw himself and the celebrity he had become. The result is a vital piece of pop cultural history, the document of an exceptional, grumpy artist at a crossroads.
Accused of being a Judas for playing an electric guitar and having a band, Dylan clearly does not want to be part of any of this, and it is hard to blame him.
Veteran documentary maker and 'direct' cinema pioner Pennebaker manages to cull a fascinating film from the most reluctant of subjects by exploiting that gulf between how Dylan saw himself and the celebrity he had become. The result is a vital piece of pop cultural history, the document of an exceptional, grumpy artist at a crossroads.
Verdict
The film that gives rockumentaries a good name.
The film that gives rockumentaries a good name.
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