SUMMER OF SOUL (A) - This unveiling of footage from six summer concerts in Harlem in 1969 is the most uplifting and joyous concert film since Talking Heads' "Stop Making Sense" in the mid-1980s. This gathering of prodigious talents is knitted together from six concerts held the same summer as Woodstock and put in perspective by its own assembly of talking heads that include performers, organizers and attendees.
Ahmir Thompson, better known at Questlove, the drummer for the Roots, shows an incredible feel for his subject matter and its place in history, in his debut as a film director. The first 15minutes or so involve too many quick-cuts that could induce a bit of vertigo, but Thompson -- as if giddy over the discovery of this goldmine of material and wanting to share it all at once -- settles in and slows the pace while still covering a lot of ground.
He is generous with the clips of the performances, thankfully not chopping them up into scattered pieces. His lineup is unparalleled: Stevie Wonder, the Staples Singers, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, Nina Simone, B.B. King, Sly and the Family Stone, and the 5th Dimension. Making a case for their soul bona fides, the 5th Dimension's Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis appear in the present day to describe the vibe from 50 years ago. Like a few others, they are filmed sitting and watching the performances on a monitor, and they well up with emotion, as do attendees and the offspring of other performers.
Thompson provides perspective by explaining how the event was organized and filling in the background of the gregarious emcee. He also provides historical perspective by capturing the zeitgeist of the mess late '60s. Most notably, he name-checks Apollo 11 and shows archival interviews at the concerts of inner-city residents wondering why America was spending its resources in space.
Politics and racial pride share the stage with the awesome music. Jessie Jackson, then fronting Operation Breadbasket, comes off as charismatic and inspiring to the sea of humanity. Mavis Staples (heard in the present day only in voice-over) describes the honor of sharing the stage with the legendary Mahalia Jackson for a soaring version of the gospel standard "Take My Hand, Precious Lord." Meantime, Stevie Wonder -- then still a teenager -- performs with abandon, even taking a turn on the drum kit.
The wealth and depth of talent can seem boundless during the two hours that fly by. But Thompson doesn't just use the shots that were aimed at the stage. Throughout, he splices in audience reaction shots, and the faces, coifs, and clothing choices make for endlessly riveting people-watching. Look closely at the expressions on all of those various faces of all ages, and you begin to get a sense not only of the thrill that came from forgetting their worries on a summer day, but what it meant to be black in that moment, and how this grand entertainment event not only would be quickly eclipsed by the Boomers' wallow in the mud upstate but also unceremoniously shelved and nearly forgotten for half a century.
This film aims to fix that unforgivable historical slight. And it stands as a shout to the world that we're not going back to that world.
BONUS TRACKS
There are too many highlights to try to reference here, but one fascinating moment comes when Thompson syncs footage of the moon landing with the opening strains of the Staples Singers performing "It's Been a Change":
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