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Revolution (the documentary film, 1968)
[Directed by Jack O'Connell]
Contents:
This film did not fare well in its opening
debut. Shot in the midst of 1967's Summer of Love in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco,
it is almost cinema verite except for the sappy interviews that the
director inserted into the everyday hustle and bustle taking place at
the height of this extraordinary moment. But by the time the film was
released, a year later in the summer of 1968, the whole world — and the
counterculture especially — had changed completely. Read the review from
the East Village Other (below) to get a sense of the dismissive attitude
that many had watching a film about Love. This film is about 1967, and
the title Revolution was about a Love Revolution. The year the film was
released, 1968, hate had come to the forefront with the assassinations
of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy (and their aftermath). Love was still around but
hiding in the background.
Nevertheless, this film is valuable for anyone interested in that
period. O'Connell and his crew captured some moments that will live on
in his documentary. Put aside some of the bizarre dialogue and focus on
the imagery. Here you will see the first Summer Solstice celebration
that took place in the counterculture. Here you will see footage of Morning
Star Ranch (the "Digger Farm") and its founder, Lou Gottlieb, as he
describes his vision of open land. Watch Ronnie Davis, founder of the San Francisco
Mime Troupe, as he plays the role of the Pied Piper of revolutionary
youth. Hear one of the Ballard brothers as he raps about the Diggers and
the Black People's Free Store. Listen to the music of Country Joe & the
Fish, Quicksilver Messenger Service, the Steve Miller Band, and Mother
Earth. Experience acid rock lightshows by Headlights (Jerry Abrams and
Glenn McKay). Stroll down Haight Street when the youth of America (and
the world) were waking up to late twentieth-century global realities and
— as a generation — saying "not for me nor mine." [—ed. 2021-12-30]
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Film poster. Click thumbnail for larger version.
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Revolution, 1968
Directed by Jack O'Connell. Running time: 1 hr 27 min
Featuring: Today Malone, Herb Caen, Ronnie Davis, Lou Gottlieb et
al. Music by Country Joe & the Fish, Quicksilver Messenger Service, The
Steve Miller Band, Mother Earth. Dance by Ann Halprin Dancer's Workshop.
Lightshows by Headlights (Jerry Abrams, Glenn McKay). Director of
Photography: Bill Godsey. Production Manager: Joel Block. A production
of the Robert J. Leder Co. in association with Omicron Films. Produced &
Directed by Jack O'Connell. Contributing filmmakers: Tom DeWitt, Loren
Sears, Steve Ashton, Jerry Abrams, Alan Clark, Richard Watt, Kelly Hart,
Myron Ort, John Schofill, Gary Pickering.
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From East Village Other, August 16, 1968, pg. 6
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