Todd Haynes’ latest film documents the rise and fall of one of the most influential bands of all-time, the Velvet Underground.
There are generally two types of music documentaries. Some focus on the interpersonal drama within a band or explore the tortured life of a specific superstar. The most famous of these docs being the Behind the Music series on VH1.
The other prominent type of music documentary is the concert film, which focuses primarily on the music and performances, Think Martin Scorsese’s The Last Waltz or Questlove’s Summer of Soul, which came out earlier this year.
Todd Haynes didn’t have the luxury of making a true concert film because there is hardly any footage of the Velvet Underground from their most prolific period in the mid 1960s. What he did have access to was an archive of experimental film footage shot by Andy Warhol (the band’s pseudo manager) during that same time period. Haynes intercuts these strange images and scenes with the droning music of the Velvet Underground in an attempt to replicate the experience of what it might have felt like to see the band play in 1965. The result? Hypnotic.
I will admit, I am not the biggest fan of the Velvet Underground. I have always thought that Lou Reed’s genius was massively overstated and that apart from a few good songs (Heroin, Venus in Furs, Waiting for The Man, Take a Walk on the Wild side) that Reed’s overall musical production was lackluster at best. But after watching this movie, I have a newfound appreciation for the Velvet Underground’s music and Lou Reed’s pioneering approach to pop music writing.
The music is very understated, it doesn’t try to pound you over the head. John Cale brought an Avant Garde element to the band that incorporated this repetitive droning that kind of lulled you into a near hypnotic state. In the film, Cale recollects that the band tried to incorporate the hymn of a refrigerator because “The 60 cycle hum of a refrigerator was the drone of Western Civilization.” There is an otherworldly quality to the music of the Velvet Underground that is undercut by the stark reality of Lou Reed’s lyrics.
The film also delves into the relationships within the band and the situation in New York at the time. While many families were heading out to the suburbs, the city was packed with artists that- for the most part- wanted nothing to do with the current societal structure. The Velvet Underground and the New York scene in general was the natural antithesis to the hippy movement happening on the west coast. The hippies were all about excess and free love, the Velvet Underground were all about minimalism and brutality of the real world.
I applaud the film for being about the Velvet Underground and not about Lou Reed, the band’s most famous figure. The film gives equal time for each member, Lou Reed, John Cale, Moe Tucker, Sterling Morrison, and even Nico, who was really only a member of the band for one record.
One very interesting revelation was that it was Lou Reed who was pushing the band towards a more populist sound while John Cale was the person looking to experiment with more unique musical styles. Reed ultimately broke up the band because he was ready to be a rock star. And in his defense the band, although popular in underground circles, had floundered for several years without making it big.
It’s unsurprising that Todd Haynes made such a great movie that so accurately represents that time in music. I would also highly recommend his previous film, “Velvet Goldmine,” it kinda serves as a sequel to this movie examining how glam rock would form in the early 1970s and how it would eventually burn out.
Even if you don’t particularly love the Velvet Underground’s music I would still recommend you watch this film, it is an amazing audiovisual experience.
