Beautifully restored lost footage of one of the coolest music festivals ever, which serendipitously took place in 1969, a pivotal year in American history. Questlove brings his music mastery (particularly in his DJ-ing and drumming) to the documentary editing table. It's an impressive amount of cinematic style for a man who's admittedly a novice. Simone's performance of Young, Gifted, and Black perfectly captures the power and pureness of this social musical.
User Reviews
Review this title101 Reviews
Grazing in the Grass
ferguson-629 December 2021
Greetings again from the darkness. Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson's directorial debut is a history lesson wrapped in a concert film, and it's just the blended spoonful we need. You might know Questlove best as the bandleader/drummer on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon", and with this documentary, he has proven his skill in balancing the visuals with the message. The Harlem Cultural Festival was held over six weekends in the summer of 1969. Yep, the same summer as (and only 100 miles from) the infamous and celebrated Woodstock festival. A total of 300,000 people attended the free events held in Mt Morris Park in Harlem, and Questlove's film brings back what has been forgotten.
TV director Hal Tulchin filmed each week's concert in hopes that it would have market value. When he was unable to market the footage, all 47 reels remained stashed in his basement for 50 years. Questlove weaves a magic carpet that injects interviews, statements, and news clips over the powerful music being performed on stage. We get interviews with festival attendees, musicians, NY Times reporter Charlayne Hunter-Gault, and historical perspective from news clips of Richard Nixon, the Vietnam War, and the assassinations of John Kennedy, Malcolm X, Bobby Kennedy, and Martin Luther King. The festival was organized to commemorate MLK's death the previous year, and at a time when the black community featured much anger and unrest. The Black Panthers were brought in for security as drugs spiraled out of control in Harlem.
It was never just about the music, but what music it was! Gospel, blues, soul, and R&B filled the air, as the crowd cheered, danced, and sang along. We learn Maxwell House coffee served as a sponsor, and there is a segment on NYC Mayor Lindsay, who supported the festival and was well-respected in the Black community. Tony Lawrence, a lounge singer and radio DJ, served as the festival's host and producer. He introduced each of the acts, and did so with quite a sense of fashion.
The performers aren't necessarily shown in the same order as the festival, but that matters little. Stevie Wonder is at a decisive point in his career, and his drum solo (yes, drums) is energizing. We also get to see and hear such acts as BB King, the 5th Dimension, the Staples Singers, Mahalia Jackson, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and Nina Simone. We also hear an audio recording of Mavis Staples recalling how "unreal" it was for her to sing with Mahalia. Other highlights include David Ruffin hitting and holding a high note on "My Girl", the Edwin Hawkins Singers performing "Oh, Happy Day", Hugh Maskela jolting the crowd with "Grazing in the Grass", and Sly and the Family Stone (and their "white drummer") leading the audience through "Higher". The late Nina Simone comes across as especially regal and powerful in her time on stage. There are clips of comedian Moms Mabley on stage, as well as Jesse Jackson orating. Lin-Manuel Miranda discusses the music of Puerto Rico and Spanish Harlem, and one of the most touching segments finds Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr recalling the backstory of how The 5th Dimension came to record "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine in".
Early marketing attempts re-branded the festival as "Black Woodstock", but that didn't change the fact that the market was limited at the time. Festival-attendee Musa Jackson is interviewed as he watches the film, and it's clear that it's an affirmation of the era. It's also fascinating to hear Charlayne Hunter-Gault recount how she fought the NY Times over her preferred description of people as "Black" rather than the previously utilized "Negro". Questlove's film immediately becomes a historical time capsule and one that should be viewed by many.
Available on Hulu.
TV director Hal Tulchin filmed each week's concert in hopes that it would have market value. When he was unable to market the footage, all 47 reels remained stashed in his basement for 50 years. Questlove weaves a magic carpet that injects interviews, statements, and news clips over the powerful music being performed on stage. We get interviews with festival attendees, musicians, NY Times reporter Charlayne Hunter-Gault, and historical perspective from news clips of Richard Nixon, the Vietnam War, and the assassinations of John Kennedy, Malcolm X, Bobby Kennedy, and Martin Luther King. The festival was organized to commemorate MLK's death the previous year, and at a time when the black community featured much anger and unrest. The Black Panthers were brought in for security as drugs spiraled out of control in Harlem.
It was never just about the music, but what music it was! Gospel, blues, soul, and R&B filled the air, as the crowd cheered, danced, and sang along. We learn Maxwell House coffee served as a sponsor, and there is a segment on NYC Mayor Lindsay, who supported the festival and was well-respected in the Black community. Tony Lawrence, a lounge singer and radio DJ, served as the festival's host and producer. He introduced each of the acts, and did so with quite a sense of fashion.
The performers aren't necessarily shown in the same order as the festival, but that matters little. Stevie Wonder is at a decisive point in his career, and his drum solo (yes, drums) is energizing. We also get to see and hear such acts as BB King, the 5th Dimension, the Staples Singers, Mahalia Jackson, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and Nina Simone. We also hear an audio recording of Mavis Staples recalling how "unreal" it was for her to sing with Mahalia. Other highlights include David Ruffin hitting and holding a high note on "My Girl", the Edwin Hawkins Singers performing "Oh, Happy Day", Hugh Maskela jolting the crowd with "Grazing in the Grass", and Sly and the Family Stone (and their "white drummer") leading the audience through "Higher". The late Nina Simone comes across as especially regal and powerful in her time on stage. There are clips of comedian Moms Mabley on stage, as well as Jesse Jackson orating. Lin-Manuel Miranda discusses the music of Puerto Rico and Spanish Harlem, and one of the most touching segments finds Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr recalling the backstory of how The 5th Dimension came to record "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine in".
Early marketing attempts re-branded the festival as "Black Woodstock", but that didn't change the fact that the market was limited at the time. Festival-attendee Musa Jackson is interviewed as he watches the film, and it's clear that it's an affirmation of the era. It's also fascinating to hear Charlayne Hunter-Gault recount how she fought the NY Times over her preferred description of people as "Black" rather than the previously utilized "Negro". Questlove's film immediately becomes a historical time capsule and one that should be viewed by many.
Available on Hulu.
Rousing and Energetic
evanston_dad3 August 2021
I'm not generally a fan of concert films, and "Summer of Soul" did go on a bit longer than I had patience for, but of films like it it's a great example of the genre.
The film makes a point of comparing the Harlem music festival to Woodstock, which took place in the same year. We remember Woodstock well -- it was even the subject of a documentary that won the Best Documentary Feature Academy Award in 1970 -- but who's ever heard of this black music festival? And it's even more jaw dropping because of the talent on the stage: Gladys Knight and the Pips, the Fifth Dimension, Sly and the Family Stone, Nina Simone. The difference is that Woodstock was a celebration of music while this festival turned into a cry of rage, hope, anger, and action within the black community. It's like the people singing at this festival were literally singing for their lives and for the lives of all black people.
The galvanized energy that people in the crowd were feeling at the time and that they talk about all these years later comes through in the rescued footage. You can feel the electricity and chemistry between the performers and the crowd. A highlight of the film is the performance of Nina Simone, who is absolutely captivating. A person who was there says that watching her come onstage was like watching an African princess, and you can see what she's talking about.
Grade: A.
The film makes a point of comparing the Harlem music festival to Woodstock, which took place in the same year. We remember Woodstock well -- it was even the subject of a documentary that won the Best Documentary Feature Academy Award in 1970 -- but who's ever heard of this black music festival? And it's even more jaw dropping because of the talent on the stage: Gladys Knight and the Pips, the Fifth Dimension, Sly and the Family Stone, Nina Simone. The difference is that Woodstock was a celebration of music while this festival turned into a cry of rage, hope, anger, and action within the black community. It's like the people singing at this festival were literally singing for their lives and for the lives of all black people.
The galvanized energy that people in the crowd were feeling at the time and that they talk about all these years later comes through in the rescued footage. You can feel the electricity and chemistry between the performers and the crowd. A highlight of the film is the performance of Nina Simone, who is absolutely captivating. A person who was there says that watching her come onstage was like watching an African princess, and you can see what she's talking about.
Grade: A.
A criminally overlooked Festival gets it's proper due in this compelling documentary
EamonTracyCritic29 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
In his debut documentary using footage that was gathering dust in a basement for over 50 years, Ahmir-Khalib Thompson (aka Questlove) captures a remarkable weekend of music and politics at the Harlem Cultural Festival in July, 1969. Since it was a black concert no white owned media outlet wanted to distribute it and thus it was ignored. Furthermore it's significance was overshadowed by Woodstock and the historical Moon Landing that occurred on the same weekend that summer.
Right off the bat, a 19 year old Stevie Wonder gets the party going singing some hits while playing his keyboard and even a solid drum solo. Editor Joshua L Pearson splices the drum's tempo to a montage of images showing news clips reporting familiar stories about inequality, unarmed black men being shot by police, a useless War, and the other unresolved social maladies. Taking a breath, the focus shifts back to the outstanding performers. Next up are the Chambers Brothers with a brief jam before BB King lays down an upbeat song while wearing a periwinkle blue suit.
In a charming twist of fate the 5th Dimensions explain how they met the producers of "Hair" after the lead singer's wallet was found by one of the latter in a cab. Fifty years later, the singers are thrilled to watch their old footage for the first time and throughout Thompson continues to keeps the camera rolling on various subjects that attended while they watch the recovered footage.
I was on my feet dancing along to "Oh Happy Day" by The Edwin Hawkins Singers which debuted on the hot Harlem afternoon. Backed by a sea of choir singers in bright green suits and robes Hawkins' arrangement soars onscreen. The song is a classic and has lived on through various soundtracks. Sadly afterwards, the Band was persecuted by their strict Pentecostal Church for engaging with an unorthodox platform and audience.
I could go on about every performance but to name some others: The Staple Singers, Gladys Knight and the Pips, David Ruffin (who recently left The Temptations), Sly and the Family Stone (dressed in Psychedelic purple glasses, matching outfit, and a large gold chain), Hugh Masakela ,and finally her highness Nina Simone. Simone closes with a commanding act including a sensational call to revolution with "Are You Ready?". If I had a time machine, I'd pick this show over Woodstock.
Hailing from Memphis, Ben Branch was a saxophonist and activist who happened to be the last person MLK spoke to before the leader was gunned down at the Lorraine Motel. On the stage Branch joins Rev Jesse Jackson along with a full band and a mournful organ while Rev Jackson details the legacy of MLK.
Thankfully, Mavis Staples, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder appear onscreen to reflect on the event, and their experiences. Wonder could've easily cruised in the commercial friendly Motown Sound but evolved and went on to make genre-defying albums like "Innervisions" and "Songs in the Key of Life".
Leaving no stone unturned, a reporter describes how the Black Panthers assisted with security while the liberal Republican Mayor Lindsay was welcomed on stage. It was interesting to learn a white republican was mostly favorable in the black community at the time. It's also impressive how cleanly the 16mm concert footage is restored with nearly flawless sound.
Currently in 2021 music venues and theaters are some of the places most hard hit by the global pandemic. With live shows having ceased "Summer of Soul" is a minor escape to that feeling of sharing art, ideas, and an intimate space with one another. Plenty of attendees and archival interviews explain the impact of seeing far-out dressed musicians inspired them to change their conservative clothes and let their freak flag fly.
In one of the most important scenes the reaction to the Moon Landing show a polarized Country. While white Americans are thrilled over the lunar adventure, local Harlem residents proclaim it's a waste of money when people are struggling. While I appreciate certain aspects of Space travel it's the similar today witnessing a gross mismanagement of priorities. For a debut Thompson marvelously captures people processing years of racial discrimination through art, and I can't help but stand and applaud.
Right off the bat, a 19 year old Stevie Wonder gets the party going singing some hits while playing his keyboard and even a solid drum solo. Editor Joshua L Pearson splices the drum's tempo to a montage of images showing news clips reporting familiar stories about inequality, unarmed black men being shot by police, a useless War, and the other unresolved social maladies. Taking a breath, the focus shifts back to the outstanding performers. Next up are the Chambers Brothers with a brief jam before BB King lays down an upbeat song while wearing a periwinkle blue suit.
In a charming twist of fate the 5th Dimensions explain how they met the producers of "Hair" after the lead singer's wallet was found by one of the latter in a cab. Fifty years later, the singers are thrilled to watch their old footage for the first time and throughout Thompson continues to keeps the camera rolling on various subjects that attended while they watch the recovered footage.
I was on my feet dancing along to "Oh Happy Day" by The Edwin Hawkins Singers which debuted on the hot Harlem afternoon. Backed by a sea of choir singers in bright green suits and robes Hawkins' arrangement soars onscreen. The song is a classic and has lived on through various soundtracks. Sadly afterwards, the Band was persecuted by their strict Pentecostal Church for engaging with an unorthodox platform and audience.
I could go on about every performance but to name some others: The Staple Singers, Gladys Knight and the Pips, David Ruffin (who recently left The Temptations), Sly and the Family Stone (dressed in Psychedelic purple glasses, matching outfit, and a large gold chain), Hugh Masakela ,and finally her highness Nina Simone. Simone closes with a commanding act including a sensational call to revolution with "Are You Ready?". If I had a time machine, I'd pick this show over Woodstock.
Hailing from Memphis, Ben Branch was a saxophonist and activist who happened to be the last person MLK spoke to before the leader was gunned down at the Lorraine Motel. On the stage Branch joins Rev Jesse Jackson along with a full band and a mournful organ while Rev Jackson details the legacy of MLK.
Thankfully, Mavis Staples, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder appear onscreen to reflect on the event, and their experiences. Wonder could've easily cruised in the commercial friendly Motown Sound but evolved and went on to make genre-defying albums like "Innervisions" and "Songs in the Key of Life".
Leaving no stone unturned, a reporter describes how the Black Panthers assisted with security while the liberal Republican Mayor Lindsay was welcomed on stage. It was interesting to learn a white republican was mostly favorable in the black community at the time. It's also impressive how cleanly the 16mm concert footage is restored with nearly flawless sound.
Currently in 2021 music venues and theaters are some of the places most hard hit by the global pandemic. With live shows having ceased "Summer of Soul" is a minor escape to that feeling of sharing art, ideas, and an intimate space with one another. Plenty of attendees and archival interviews explain the impact of seeing far-out dressed musicians inspired them to change their conservative clothes and let their freak flag fly.
In one of the most important scenes the reaction to the Moon Landing show a polarized Country. While white Americans are thrilled over the lunar adventure, local Harlem residents proclaim it's a waste of money when people are struggling. While I appreciate certain aspects of Space travel it's the similar today witnessing a gross mismanagement of priorities. For a debut Thompson marvelously captures people processing years of racial discrimination through art, and I can't help but stand and applaud.
Great film
mmbruns5 July 2021
I hope this movie inspires someone to put out a DVD set (or streaming) of performances from this festival. The performance clips we get are generally fantastic (do wonder if that was the only BB King tape surviving because his clip is a bit of a mess). Overall I think the interviews and historical context descriptions give great insight into the period and circumstances of the festival which deepen the film.
I haven't been so moved by a film in a long time.
I haven't been so moved by a film in a long time.
Genuine stuff! The real thing!
repete522 July 2021
You can't not like this. It's authentic, genuine; people gathering to have a good time, great bands, people having fun, more than they expected when they went to this Harlem Festival.
Fantastic that this recording was found and able to be broadcast.
Fantastic that this recording was found and able to be broadcast.
Watch and Learn
lscott-185 July 2021
Having grown up during the time this was filmed, I can truly identify with the music and mood of the country at that time. Take the time to really listen and watch this movie. The performances tell you so much about how the music touched people in a positive way. One of my favorite documentaries of all time.
Great footage but the film lacked structure.
valleyjohn10 August 2021
I went into this with my expectations high because of what the British film critic Mark Kermode said about this film . He said that it's the best music documentary he's ever seen.
Yet again I have to disagree with him .
Over the course of six weeks during the summer of 1969, thousands of people attend the Harlem Cultural Festival to celebrate Black history, culture, music and fashion.
Despite disagreeing with Kermode I really admired this film .
Considering it was locked up in a room for 50 years and never been played it's remarkable the quality of the footage and especially the sound .
I have to admit I was disappointed with the line ups. Stevie Wonder is one of my favourite singers of all time and to see him playing live at 19 years of age was great but that was the highlight .
It was far too gospel for my taste but again, the footage was great and it wasn't geared up for someone like me.
There was lots of civil rights footage which we've all see before to give the film some perspective and interviews with surviving acts and audience members .
I felt that the structure of the film didn't quite work. It was shot as if it was one concert when in fact it was weeks of concerts and that never came across. Also i could have done without the talking heads.
I was six months old when The Harlem Music Festival was on at the same time as Woodstock which was a hundred miles away but I know , if I was an adult back then , where I would rather have been and that's Harlem.
Yet again I have to disagree with him .
Over the course of six weeks during the summer of 1969, thousands of people attend the Harlem Cultural Festival to celebrate Black history, culture, music and fashion.
Despite disagreeing with Kermode I really admired this film .
Considering it was locked up in a room for 50 years and never been played it's remarkable the quality of the footage and especially the sound .
I have to admit I was disappointed with the line ups. Stevie Wonder is one of my favourite singers of all time and to see him playing live at 19 years of age was great but that was the highlight .
It was far too gospel for my taste but again, the footage was great and it wasn't geared up for someone like me.
There was lots of civil rights footage which we've all see before to give the film some perspective and interviews with surviving acts and audience members .
I felt that the structure of the film didn't quite work. It was shot as if it was one concert when in fact it was weeks of concerts and that never came across. Also i could have done without the talking heads.
I was six months old when The Harlem Music Festival was on at the same time as Woodstock which was a hundred miles away but I know , if I was an adult back then , where I would rather have been and that's Harlem.
A Music And History Lesson With An Awesome Soundtrack
minister_of_silly_walks5 July 2021
Just an incredible documentary covering the Harlem Music Festival from 1969 with some great performances from some of the most famous jazz, soul, blues and gospel performers from the 60's. It uses never before seen archive footage with interviews of the musicians and attendees giving the documentary a raw and authentic feel transporting the viewer into a turbulent era marked by the Civil Rights Movement and some of the most legendary and everlasting music ever created.
Too much politics not enough music
ajkbiotech8 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This film 🎞 started with tons of promise.
Unfortunately, it started with nearly twenty minutes of intercut interviews that were either about politics, the way the festival was organized, or other irrelevant matters.
Guys like me just want to hear the music.
But the music edits are awful. They show most of an awful Chambers Brothers opening number that is mediocre.
Then you have BB King, but they cut away.
Then Herbie Mann, with Chain of Fools featuring Roy Ayers on vibes. This is a great cut off of Memphis Underground performed live the same year, but the director cuts away to talk about the concert organizer, about whom I could care less.
That Herbie Mann & Roy Ayers footage is golden-just freaking show it!
The rest of the film 🎞 is just like this.
The only way this film can be saved is to issue a deluxe DVD edition with every musical performance intact without any editing or comments.
As it currently exists, this film 🎞 is defective.
It's ok, but not what I expected.
I want to see SOUL MUSIC not a bunch of commentary and political babble recycled from every sixties documentary ever made.
So that's my bottom line.
Unfortunately, it started with nearly twenty minutes of intercut interviews that were either about politics, the way the festival was organized, or other irrelevant matters.
Guys like me just want to hear the music.
But the music edits are awful. They show most of an awful Chambers Brothers opening number that is mediocre.
Then you have BB King, but they cut away.
Then Herbie Mann, with Chain of Fools featuring Roy Ayers on vibes. This is a great cut off of Memphis Underground performed live the same year, but the director cuts away to talk about the concert organizer, about whom I could care less.
That Herbie Mann & Roy Ayers footage is golden-just freaking show it!
The rest of the film 🎞 is just like this.
The only way this film can be saved is to issue a deluxe DVD edition with every musical performance intact without any editing or comments.
As it currently exists, this film 🎞 is defective.
It's ok, but not what I expected.
I want to see SOUL MUSIC not a bunch of commentary and political babble recycled from every sixties documentary ever made.
So that's my bottom line.
Best movie of 2021, period
paul-allaer5 July 2021
"Summer of Soul (... Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)" (2021 release; 117 min.) is a documentary about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival which took place over 6 weekends from late June through late August and thus at the same time as Woodstock, hence the nickname the "Black Woodstock" for the Harlem Cultural Festival. Even though these events were taped, the tapes have been sitting in a basement collecting dust for 50 years, until the Roots' Questlove decided to make a film about this. As the documentary opens, we see Stevie Wonder doing a stunning drum solo, yes a DRUM SOLO, as the crowd goes wild. The Chamber Brothers come next and blow us out of the water with their "Uptown" song. Along the way, we are reminded of the tremendous social changes that were taking place in those years. At this point we are 10 min. Into the documentary.
Couple of comments: words aren't enough to thank Questlove for saving these important and vivid videotapes and turning them into this fabulous documentary. All the footage is in full color and the audio mix is perfect. The documentary itself shifts back between footage of the festival, several attendees who reminisce about it all now 50 years later, and social commentary and context. Of course the festival footage is what interested me most, and it is fingerlickin' good: BB King, the Fifth Dimension, Nina Simone, Gladys Knight, and Sly & the Family Stone are just some of the artists that appear in the film. THE highlight for me is the spontaneous "jam" between Mahalia Jackson and Mavis Staples, as they remember and pay tribute to MLK. Words are not enough, and frankly that goes for the entire documentary. I am already going on record that this will get nominated for a Best Documentary Oscar next year. After I saw the documentary, I immediately wanted to order the soundtrack, but sadly and inexplicably, there is no soundtrack for this fabulous movie. WHY??
"Summer of Soul" premiered at this year's Sundance film festival to immediate critical and commercial acclaim. The film opened this July 4th weekend at my local arthouse theater here in Cincinnati, and the Monday matinee screening where I saw this at was attended very nicely (just over 20 people, from a quick count I did). When the movie's end titles started rolling, the audience clapped and I gladly join in. There is a reason why this film is currently rated 99% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes! Frankly, for myself, it is the best movie of 2021 so far., MILES and MILES away from/better than crap like F9 and The Tomorrow War. If you have any interest in the history of music or wonder what a "Black Woodstock" might sound and look like, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it in the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray (likely/hopefully with tons of bonus materials), and draw your own conclusion.
*UPDATE 12/25/21* I'm making my "best movies of 2021" list, and "Summer of Soul" is easily my No. 1 movie of the year, period. I saw it 4 (!) times in the theater, and then saw it again on Hulu. I cannot get over the fact that I had never heard of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival until this documentary came out this year. If you are a fan of music history, do yourself a favor, and please watch this film. You will thank me later.
*UPDATE 3/28/11* As I had predicted since I first saw this incredible documentary in the theater in June, 2021, it won the Oscar for Best Documentary. Frankly, this should've been been nominated for Best Movie Oscar as well (rather than duds like "Dune" and "Nightmare Alley"). So very happy for Questlove & Co. Now let's get a reissue of the movie, this time with BONUS materials!
Couple of comments: words aren't enough to thank Questlove for saving these important and vivid videotapes and turning them into this fabulous documentary. All the footage is in full color and the audio mix is perfect. The documentary itself shifts back between footage of the festival, several attendees who reminisce about it all now 50 years later, and social commentary and context. Of course the festival footage is what interested me most, and it is fingerlickin' good: BB King, the Fifth Dimension, Nina Simone, Gladys Knight, and Sly & the Family Stone are just some of the artists that appear in the film. THE highlight for me is the spontaneous "jam" between Mahalia Jackson and Mavis Staples, as they remember and pay tribute to MLK. Words are not enough, and frankly that goes for the entire documentary. I am already going on record that this will get nominated for a Best Documentary Oscar next year. After I saw the documentary, I immediately wanted to order the soundtrack, but sadly and inexplicably, there is no soundtrack for this fabulous movie. WHY??
"Summer of Soul" premiered at this year's Sundance film festival to immediate critical and commercial acclaim. The film opened this July 4th weekend at my local arthouse theater here in Cincinnati, and the Monday matinee screening where I saw this at was attended very nicely (just over 20 people, from a quick count I did). When the movie's end titles started rolling, the audience clapped and I gladly join in. There is a reason why this film is currently rated 99% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes! Frankly, for myself, it is the best movie of 2021 so far., MILES and MILES away from/better than crap like F9 and The Tomorrow War. If you have any interest in the history of music or wonder what a "Black Woodstock" might sound and look like, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it in the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray (likely/hopefully with tons of bonus materials), and draw your own conclusion.
*UPDATE 12/25/21* I'm making my "best movies of 2021" list, and "Summer of Soul" is easily my No. 1 movie of the year, period. I saw it 4 (!) times in the theater, and then saw it again on Hulu. I cannot get over the fact that I had never heard of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival until this documentary came out this year. If you are a fan of music history, do yourself a favor, and please watch this film. You will thank me later.
*UPDATE 3/28/11* As I had predicted since I first saw this incredible documentary in the theater in June, 2021, it won the Oscar for Best Documentary. Frankly, this should've been been nominated for Best Movie Oscar as well (rather than duds like "Dune" and "Nightmare Alley"). So very happy for Questlove & Co. Now let's get a reissue of the movie, this time with BONUS materials!
Great in parts, but the documentary and concert aspects sometimes clash
Jeremy_Urquhart30 March 2022
Summer Of Soul is a documentary first and a concert film second, which I wasn't expecting but liked at first. The 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival was occurring around the same time as many dramatic social/political events (the documentary discusses things like assassinations of prominent leaders and the moon landing, which actually happened while this concert was taking place), and some of the commentary is really insightful...
...but some of it distracts a bit from the music. I feel like a few of the interview segments are a bit repetitive, and personally I would have rather the interviews occurred between the songs, because it's a bit jarring when an interviewee chimes in over someone who's singing.
I appreciate the mash-up of historical documentary and concert film, but wish the former didn't always overpower the latter. It might have been an editing thing to keep it under two hours, but if there was a longer cut that separated the great music from the (mostly) interesting interviews, even if that meant it was 3-4 hours, I think that would be cool.
So it's a pretty good documentary with a lot of great music segments. And I appreciate the ambitious editing that tries to mash up the two, but I didn't think it always worked in the overall film's favour.
But there's still a lot to like, and I understand why it's got the acclaim it has, and why it won Best Documentary earlier today at The Oscars.
...but some of it distracts a bit from the music. I feel like a few of the interview segments are a bit repetitive, and personally I would have rather the interviews occurred between the songs, because it's a bit jarring when an interviewee chimes in over someone who's singing.
I appreciate the mash-up of historical documentary and concert film, but wish the former didn't always overpower the latter. It might have been an editing thing to keep it under two hours, but if there was a longer cut that separated the great music from the (mostly) interesting interviews, even if that meant it was 3-4 hours, I think that would be cool.
So it's a pretty good documentary with a lot of great music segments. And I appreciate the ambitious editing that tries to mash up the two, but I didn't think it always worked in the overall film's favour.
But there's still a lot to like, and I understand why it's got the acclaim it has, and why it won Best Documentary earlier today at The Oscars.
Cool Movie, But More Talk than Festival Music
Johann_Cat3 July 2021
This could have been a great concert movie, and I am not wholly against the idea of parallel commentary to music. What I have never liked, in clubs, concerts, or films, is people yakking during performances. This film is like going to a club and having a long-winded buddy describe the significance and history of each piece as it plays--in effusive detail. This movie interrupts nearly every performance with retrospective blah-blah. Thus this was a lost opportunity. A typical reaction I had was digging Hugh Masekala beginning to get into a trumpet solo. He plays for about five seconds before the film cuts to "historical context" comments. Only a handful of performances are allowed to unfold without over-dubbed comments; a bare subset of those, like Sly Stone's set, are allowed to be played in full. I think this would have been a more meaningful experience if 90% of the performances were allowed to be full length. "Monterey Pop" (1967) is one of the great concert movies because it features full-performances, is *music first* and almost zero "commentary."
Time travel for your soul (and heart)
cliftonofun5 July 2021
I did not think time travel was possible, but then I walked into Summer of Soul. I could not have picked a better first post-pandemic theater experience, and I knew it the moment people started applauding at Mavis Staples' appearance. I visited 1969, I visited Harlem, and I had my very own Summer of Soul. Don't miss this one.
Great Documentary!!
ari-663553 July 2021
Feel Good Black History!
skserious7 July 2021
The music, the 60's vibe, the historical facts all combine to provide information in an experience of Black culture. It brought memories from my childhood as well as aspirations and dreams. I found it electric! Energizing and Inspiring!
Wonderful
judywalker23 July 2021
V Good But
atractiveeyes16 February 2022
This Documentary Feature Oscar nominee is good but could've been better. It tackles a great interesting topic: the power of music and its significant role in culture, politics and history. But the narrative structure is annoying; sometimes when people are talking there's music playing, some other times when artist are performing there's people talking. So it was hard for me to get fully engaged in it regardless of its deep heavy subject.
great, but too much yakking
hstimpson4 July 2021
More than a Concert Film
gortx3 August 2021
The subtitle: "Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised" is a riff on the 60s phrase: "The revolution will not be televised" which was popularized in song by Gil Scott-Heron and others. Director Questlove (Ahmir-Khalib Thompson) does just coyly use the phrase here - it becomes the thesis of the Documentary.
Questlove and his staff have done a remarkable job unearthing hours and hours of footage of not only the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival at the heart of the production, but of some incredible artifacts of the era preserved on film, still photographs and, miles of videotape. The subtitle refers to the fact that the documentary of the six week long concert series remained unseen in the basement of TV Producer Hal Tuchin for over 50 years because he couldn't interest anyone in buying the footage of the "Black Woodstock" for broadcast or the big screen*.
The concert footage (captured on videotape, but cleaned up video and audio) looks and sounds pretty terrific considering the format and age. Kudos to Questlove for maintaining the proper aspect ratios throughout. The lineup is legendary including a young Stevie Wonder and Gladys Knight and the Pips near the beginning of their careers and Mahalia Jackson and comedian Moms Mabley in their twilight. The Fifth Dimension, The Staple Singers, David Ruffin, B. B. King and others all get spotlight treatment, but it is Sly And The Family Stone that really steal the show. You can literally see the crowd swell as they want to get closer and closer to the stage. Stone puts on a enthusiastic show, but Trumpeter-Singer Cynthia Robinson?! What a force of nature! Festival Producer Tony Lawrence is a dynamo himself as the M. C..
If it were "merely" a Concert Film, SUMMER OF LOVE would be a success, but Questlove takes his subtitle seriously. He gives incredible context to the world that existed in 1969, particularly in the black and minority community. The pride in the voices of those who attended including Jesse Jackson, Wonder, Mavis Staples, Gladys Knight is palpable. There are also interviews with, as Sly Stone might call them, 'Everyday People' who were there. More contemporary voices such as Lin Manuel-Miranda and Charlayne Hunter-Gault are also included to give context. For the most part the interviews are illuminating and on point (Chris Rock kind of sticks out as a 'celebrity'). The only slight issue here is that Questlove inter-cuts the interviews too often during the middle of a performance. This is especially true in the second half, when the thesis has already been clearly and powerfully stated. You have Nina Simone giving a fiery poem reading - she speaks for herself!
SUMMER OF SOUL is a meaningful music documentary. It's a treasure that the long-forgotten footage has been preserved and shown (hopefully, the hours of outtakes will be viewable in some form down the road). If only the movie were as long as the one that the 'other' Woodstock got (Wadleigh's films is just over 3 hours long; SOUL is just under 2). Leaving you wanting more is a sure sign that Questlove has made a fine movie.
* One caveat I would add is that the other "Black Woodstock", 1972's Wattstax show, was released as a big screen feature film. The Staple Singers and Jesse Jackson appeared at both events.
Questlove and his staff have done a remarkable job unearthing hours and hours of footage of not only the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival at the heart of the production, but of some incredible artifacts of the era preserved on film, still photographs and, miles of videotape. The subtitle refers to the fact that the documentary of the six week long concert series remained unseen in the basement of TV Producer Hal Tuchin for over 50 years because he couldn't interest anyone in buying the footage of the "Black Woodstock" for broadcast or the big screen*.
The concert footage (captured on videotape, but cleaned up video and audio) looks and sounds pretty terrific considering the format and age. Kudos to Questlove for maintaining the proper aspect ratios throughout. The lineup is legendary including a young Stevie Wonder and Gladys Knight and the Pips near the beginning of their careers and Mahalia Jackson and comedian Moms Mabley in their twilight. The Fifth Dimension, The Staple Singers, David Ruffin, B. B. King and others all get spotlight treatment, but it is Sly And The Family Stone that really steal the show. You can literally see the crowd swell as they want to get closer and closer to the stage. Stone puts on a enthusiastic show, but Trumpeter-Singer Cynthia Robinson?! What a force of nature! Festival Producer Tony Lawrence is a dynamo himself as the M. C..
If it were "merely" a Concert Film, SUMMER OF LOVE would be a success, but Questlove takes his subtitle seriously. He gives incredible context to the world that existed in 1969, particularly in the black and minority community. The pride in the voices of those who attended including Jesse Jackson, Wonder, Mavis Staples, Gladys Knight is palpable. There are also interviews with, as Sly Stone might call them, 'Everyday People' who were there. More contemporary voices such as Lin Manuel-Miranda and Charlayne Hunter-Gault are also included to give context. For the most part the interviews are illuminating and on point (Chris Rock kind of sticks out as a 'celebrity'). The only slight issue here is that Questlove inter-cuts the interviews too often during the middle of a performance. This is especially true in the second half, when the thesis has already been clearly and powerfully stated. You have Nina Simone giving a fiery poem reading - she speaks for herself!
SUMMER OF SOUL is a meaningful music documentary. It's a treasure that the long-forgotten footage has been preserved and shown (hopefully, the hours of outtakes will be viewable in some form down the road). If only the movie were as long as the one that the 'other' Woodstock got (Wadleigh's films is just over 3 hours long; SOUL is just under 2). Leaving you wanting more is a sure sign that Questlove has made a fine movie.
* One caveat I would add is that the other "Black Woodstock", 1972's Wattstax show, was released as a big screen feature film. The Staple Singers and Jesse Jackson appeared at both events.
I wanted to watch music and got a hard hitting documentary.
allanmichael302 January 2022
However there was one thing that it showed was humanity, people families and a concerts with many views being shared. The sponsor was a coffee company and they filmed it. I always thought the moon landing was universally celebrated by everybody and this shows that the people on stage, in those concerts believed the money would have benefited them more. What I was also surprised about was what the audience went crazy for music that seems dull today and music that I think is amazing today they just looked bored. The music was great and just more important than the documentary as a piece of history and seemed to be lacking. I hope they can release more footage.
Black Woodstock
jamesbeary783 July 2021
Too much of a good thing dampens the festivities here
eddie_baggins29 June 2022
The winner of this years Best Documentary feature at the recent Academy Awards ceremony, renowned The Roots musician Questlove's labor of love doco Summer of Soul(...Or, When the Revolution Could Not be Televised) is an insightful examination and celebration of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival that will be a new favourite for the right audience but for others like myself, prove to be an example of too much of a good thing.
Using previously unseen footage from the weeks spanning event that took over parts of New York City in the year of Woodstock and moon landings, not to mention deep political upheaval and social unrest, Questlove is given a treasure trove of archival footage of some of the most well-known African American singers, songwriters and musicians but also understands the importance of providing context to their power and what was going on behind the scenes, ensuring that Soul is a telling insight into this day and time as well as an undoubtedly important piece of the puzzle for musical historians and music lovers.
Unafraid to let the music take centre stage of his film and giving plenty of airtime to many of the festival's key performances, Soul is the type of film that some would wish too go on for hours extra but at close to two hours in length and with the film jumping from well-edited to over-edited from scene too scene (perhaps Questlove took inspiration from the Michael Bay school of editing?), Soul can be a jarring experience of a viewer and one's enjoyment will depend deeply on how much one will gain from a seemingly endless procession of jazz, warbling and funk.
As an exploration of the festival itself and also an easy to understand examination of the climate of America at this particular time period Soul deserves much credit and clearly hit a chord around the world with multiple wins at key film festivals, critics awards and prized cinema award shows but as a piece of cinematic entertainment, it's fair too say there will be those that will be wishing for the festivities to wrap up and those that would be wanting more of where this has came from.
Sitting somewhat in the middle ground, I can personally see why Soul has become the hit it has and can appreciate Questlove's passion for his project but with a feeling that Soul covers the same ground multiple times and often outstays its welcome, this is a niche documentary that is perfectly fine not to love like many have claimed they did.
Final Say -
Not a mass-pleasing doco but one that provides an insightful look into a key part of America's music and African-American culture, Summer of Soul has many fine moments and takeaways but also feels like one that could've done with a trim in the editing room and less filler around the integral components.
3 Maxwell House coffee beans out of 5.
For more reviews check out Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)
Using previously unseen footage from the weeks spanning event that took over parts of New York City in the year of Woodstock and moon landings, not to mention deep political upheaval and social unrest, Questlove is given a treasure trove of archival footage of some of the most well-known African American singers, songwriters and musicians but also understands the importance of providing context to their power and what was going on behind the scenes, ensuring that Soul is a telling insight into this day and time as well as an undoubtedly important piece of the puzzle for musical historians and music lovers.
Unafraid to let the music take centre stage of his film and giving plenty of airtime to many of the festival's key performances, Soul is the type of film that some would wish too go on for hours extra but at close to two hours in length and with the film jumping from well-edited to over-edited from scene too scene (perhaps Questlove took inspiration from the Michael Bay school of editing?), Soul can be a jarring experience of a viewer and one's enjoyment will depend deeply on how much one will gain from a seemingly endless procession of jazz, warbling and funk.
As an exploration of the festival itself and also an easy to understand examination of the climate of America at this particular time period Soul deserves much credit and clearly hit a chord around the world with multiple wins at key film festivals, critics awards and prized cinema award shows but as a piece of cinematic entertainment, it's fair too say there will be those that will be wishing for the festivities to wrap up and those that would be wanting more of where this has came from.
Sitting somewhat in the middle ground, I can personally see why Soul has become the hit it has and can appreciate Questlove's passion for his project but with a feeling that Soul covers the same ground multiple times and often outstays its welcome, this is a niche documentary that is perfectly fine not to love like many have claimed they did.
Final Say -
Not a mass-pleasing doco but one that provides an insightful look into a key part of America's music and African-American culture, Summer of Soul has many fine moments and takeaways but also feels like one that could've done with a trim in the editing room and less filler around the integral components.
3 Maxwell House coffee beans out of 5.
For more reviews check out Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)
(...Or, When the Revolution Still Hasn't Been Adequately Televised)
prostrateconstantly19 September 2021
An abject failure of curation for artistic expressions of considerable importance due to stifling presentation. Where Jazz on a Summer's Day provides a confident, clear preservation of timeless artists for each viewer to draw their own inspiration, Summer of Soul squanders any opportunity for resonance through its disorienting overediting, distracting narration, and contemporary reaction shots meant to disrespectfully choreograph audience response. No sense of performance or place can be established since not a single song is presented in its entirety without being interrupted by frustratingly repetitive voiceovers or cutaways (the butchering of Sonny Sharrock's performance is particularly egregious, especially considering the voiceover laments the censoring of black art that's confrontationally emotive while silencing a mindmelting guitar solo). This belies a lack of faith on the creators' part in footage that clearly functions exceptionally on its own.
Please, please, please let this footage be available on its own. It deserves a great deal better than this.
Please, please, please let this footage be available on its own. It deserves a great deal better than this.
Still Not Televisable In This Form
boblipton3 July 2021
1968 was a tough year for New York City, what with the garbage strike and the Harlem Riots (which killed more people than the riot about whether it was acceptable to wear a straw boater after September 15, and almost as many as the one about who was the best Shakespearean actor in town). In 1969, New York's best looking (and possibly worst performing, unless you count the one who went around in his wife's clothes) mayor agreed that a music festival in Harlem was preferable, so the City (and Maxwell House) bankrolled a series of four weekend concerts in Harlem. They even filmed it.
Never heard of it? Neither had I. Woodstock sucked all the air out of such goings on that summer. People know about Woodstock, Monterrey, and Altamont because of the sex and successful movies being made of them. The film for this one sat in a vault for fifty years because no one wanted to edit and release it. Were the rights secured? I don't know. How would you market it, with Nina Simone reading poetry about destroying the White Man's property? So it sat unedited and unreleased, while the people who had been there as adults died, and those who had been there as children grew uncertain about whether it had ever happened.
Except that now it has been edited and released, and it is an amazing collection of music, Black history, Black Pride, B. B. King telling us why he sang the blues, Mahalia Jackso singing.... well, who cares what she's singing? Plus Sly and the Family Stone, The Fifth Dimension (I didn't even know they were Black), Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight..... well the list goes on and on.
It goes on a little too long to be absolutely cinematic. It starts off with some amazing energy, and the first hour or so keeps it up in a whirlwind of editing by Joshua Pearson. Then.... well, there follows eight or ten segments that look like The Final Act, to be followed by a coda of commentary, only to be followed by another final act..... which dissipates the energy. Every act is great, and I don't know what I would cut. However, but the end I was exhausted.
Still. Great music. Great commentary. And if they want to televise it, they need to cut out Miss Simone's poetry slam.
Never heard of it? Neither had I. Woodstock sucked all the air out of such goings on that summer. People know about Woodstock, Monterrey, and Altamont because of the sex and successful movies being made of them. The film for this one sat in a vault for fifty years because no one wanted to edit and release it. Were the rights secured? I don't know. How would you market it, with Nina Simone reading poetry about destroying the White Man's property? So it sat unedited and unreleased, while the people who had been there as adults died, and those who had been there as children grew uncertain about whether it had ever happened.
Except that now it has been edited and released, and it is an amazing collection of music, Black history, Black Pride, B. B. King telling us why he sang the blues, Mahalia Jackso singing.... well, who cares what she's singing? Plus Sly and the Family Stone, The Fifth Dimension (I didn't even know they were Black), Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight..... well the list goes on and on.
It goes on a little too long to be absolutely cinematic. It starts off with some amazing energy, and the first hour or so keeps it up in a whirlwind of editing by Joshua Pearson. Then.... well, there follows eight or ten segments that look like The Final Act, to be followed by a coda of commentary, only to be followed by another final act..... which dissipates the energy. Every act is great, and I don't know what I would cut. However, but the end I was exhausted.
Still. Great music. Great commentary. And if they want to televise it, they need to cut out Miss Simone's poetry slam.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
