- Running time:
- 96 minutes
- Rated:
- R
- Director:
- Bernard Shakey
- Genre:
- Documentary
- Official Movie Web Site:
- http://www.csny.com/
- Overall User Rating:
-
(0 ratings)
David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and Neil Young hit the road in 2006 to perform songs from Young’s “Living with War” album, and to interact with local politicians and spread their messages of peace and discontentment over the current administration. The movie also interviews current and past soldiers, a suspiciously high percentage of which question what they accomplished during their service.
Big question: Can this documentary provide a fresh, unbiased take on the war and musicians trying to serve as a voice of the people when they feel the government won’t do the same?
Skip it: The kind of movie that pretty much says everything it has to say in the first five minutes, “CSNY” adds no new perspective while redundantly telling us that, as a country, we’ve been down this road before. What the film doesn’t realize is that most moviegoers have been down this road before too, and the only surprising element is that anyone would be surprised when things get political at a CSNY concert.
Catch it: If you’re an aspiring journalist looking for tips on how not to ask obvious questions. Pay attention when one interviewer prompts Young about the song, “Let’s Impeach the President” only to ask, “What is this song about?”
Bottom line: This subject matter is always worth discussing, and putting faces to the vibrant opinions, the brave service and the tragic deaths should hit home for everyone. But refer to “Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing” for a better examination of how musicians’ political views speak volumes about the tenor of the country and what right/responsibility everyone, rock stars included, has to speak their mind.
Bonus: One critic wonders if “four balding hippie millionaires” are the right people to distribute political messages to the masses. Two of those attributes might be questionable, but we’ll leave it to you to discuss what, if anything, their hair has to do with it!
What do you think of 'CSNY: Deja Vu'? Email me: mpais@tribune.com
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