The Doors were a part of a revolution. Their music and words expressed what a whole generation of young people in the 60’s and 70’s were feeling. However, frontman Jim Morrison may be more famous than the band or their songs. He was a writer, a poet, and perhaps too intelligent for his own good. This documentary shows how out of control Morrison got and how his band tried to keep The Doors and their friend from self-destruction.
Directed by Tom DiCillo and narrated by Johnny Depp (which is a nice touch), When You’re Strange is full of footage of interviews, rehearsals, recording sessions, and even a student film by Morrison called HWY: An American Pastoral. The documentary follows the creation of The Doors and how they got their name. It shows their rise to fame along with their obstacles and struggles to stay on top. It concludes with Morrison losing his grip on life which ultimately leads to his death at the age of 27.
The members of The Doors (John Densmore, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, and Morrison) were gifted musicians and writers. And Morrison’s words were so beautiful and meaningful. While the rest of the guys were just playing music and loving it, Morrison gained all of the attention. And to say he never enjoyed it would be a complete lie.
The documentary makes you feel like Morrison needed his fan’s attention and support or he would have nothing at all. But LSD mixed with booze and later on cocaine can cause some serious damage and it did just that. Morrison would try to get sober but it never lasted more than a week or so.
The documentary is entertaining yet tragic at the same time. What The Doors were doing was magic. The band had a gift with their music. And this especially goes for Morrison who was a talented singer, but perhaps an even better writer. It all was ruined because of Morrison’s choices. The film has Morrison at recording sessions and in concert being drunk or high on something and even shows him passed out on stage while the band tries to continue the show.
When You’re Strange is a film about the band, but it mainly centers around Morrison and him spiraling out of control. The director focuses on the lead singer and his antics. The rest of the band tries to deal with Morrison but it finally becomes too much. And when they finally decide to confront him, their friend/frontman never listened. Whether good or bad, Morrison always did what he wanted to do.
Even if you know hardly anything about The Doors, then you will be intrigued and fascinated by this documentary. The audience has great insight into this legendary band and how they became a part of music history. At the same time, you find out who Morrison was and his battle with addiction that ultimately ended his life. For those who love and worship The Doors, you probably already know most of this information in the documentary, but if that is the case then you will probably see it anyway.
Either way, When You’re Strange makes you remember The Doors and their contributions to music and how it inspired their fans. It is all in their songs. It is all about their music. No matter how crazy the journey was.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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