Johnny Cash: The Man, His World, His Music Review

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(More customer reviews)Let me start off this review by stating that this is a fairly low budget, almost amateurish production. The sound and the pictures leave a lot to be desired...and in comparison to today's slickly produced documentaries, this effort would be laughably dismissed by most people. Most of the footage is shot with a single handheld camera, often in poorly lit rooms. Also, the film negative appears to have been stored in someone's garage for about three decades, resulting in a scratched-up film. Plus, the DVD is low on extras.
So why the five star rating? Because no other film is available that documents Johnny Cash as well as this one does. Taken as a snapshot of Cash during 1969, it show him at the very pinnacle of his popularity and creative powers. The filmmaker follows Cash in several importants aspects of his life and career, so we see glimpses of Cash onstage, backstage, on the road, at home, and in the studio. One gets the feeling this is part documentary, part home movie. There is no narration, just the natural sound captured by the filmmakers. But there is such an honesty to the footage, that you get the feeling Cash is hardly aware of the camera. We truly get to be that "fly on the wall" and see a legend in our midst.
Highlights include:
1. Cash in the studio with Bob Dylan...I was amazed that film of these sessions existed at all...and am surprized this footage doesn't get more airings. You hear them record a song that never got officially released, making this footage all the more interesting.
2. Cash performs for an audience of Native Americans, then makes a visit to the battleground at Wounded Knee...being inspired enough to compose a song about Bigfoot.
3. Cash performs to a prison audience. This appears to have taken plan before the San Quentin show, but (obviously) after the Folson show. As such, this is probably the only place to see or hear this performance.
4. We see Cash with his family (including a young Rosanne in the background). His parents are present and Johnny convinces his Dad to sing a tune he learned during World War I. Note that the real Ray Cash doesn't come off as the cold hearted man portrayed in the Walk the Line film.)
5. Cash also returns to his hometown and we see him visiting old friends and relatives. His visit to his hometown culminates in a visit to his childhood home, now abandoned. Cash fans will recognize several bits of this footage as being used later on for the music video to "Hurt," released in 2002.
After about 5 minutes, you forgive the film for its technical flaws and are taken up into the world of Johnny Cash. No other film out there does this much justice in documenting the most important year of Cash's career. For that reason alone, this is a priceless DVD. Any Johnny Cash fan will be happy to have this in their collection. And while there are many Cash DVDs out there to choose from, this is clearly the best of them all.
P.S. - Another reviewer correctly stated that a longer version of this film does exist. The Sanctuary version from 2005 is 70 minutes long. However, the Cherry Red DVD released in 2000 (and again in 2003 in the UK) is the full 90 minutes long. Extra scenes in the 90 minute version include: 1) Johnny Cash out hunting, wounding a crow (then singing to it, as he takes it to be mended), 2) Two backstage scenes with aspiring songwriters pitching songs to Cash, hoping to make it big, and 3) Longer scenes with the Carter Family (and June's somewhat ribald introduction of their prison concert). While most of the best scenes are on the 70 minutes version, it is still worth tracking down the 90 minute version if you can. Amazon UK has the 90 minute version available (look for the yellowish cover with a photo of Cash singing into a microphone)...and since it's encoded as Region "0," it should play on all American DVD players. It plays just fine on mine...

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Johnny Cash needs little introduction. He was one of the true legends of Country Music from his days in the mid-50s when he was recording for MemphisSun Records through his classic 60s recordings for Columbia Records onto more recent achievements as "The Man In Black" with Def American Records. In "Johnny Cash! The Man His World His Music" film-maker Bob Elfstrom documented several months in Cash s life alongside guitarist Carl Perkins (legendary rock star of the fifties) bass player Marshall Grant drummer W.S. Holland and the Carter Sisters June Helen and Anita. Children and family members are seen from time to time but this is essentially Johnny Cash taking his show on the road. A unique portrait of an artist who by the time this documentary was first screened in 1970 arguably was as famous and as popular as any singer in America.The film was shot between August 1968 and early 1969 and cuts and pastes live clips with fascinating homebackstage and behind-the-scenes footage to offer an insider s glimpse of a man on top of his game having just been crowned at the Country Music Awards for his latest album "Live At San Quentin."Almost all of the major participants are now gone. Carl Perkins died in January 1998. Helen Carter died in June that year. Anita Carter died in July 1999. Johnny Cash and June Carter lived 34 years after this documentary was completed. The contrast between Johnny Cash seen here and the Johnny Cash of late years ravaged by Parkinson s disease diabetes glaucoma and respiratory problems shows what terrible price he paid for the life he had chosen. After June Carter died on May 15 2003 John did not last long and the end came for him on September 12 2003. He had been to the brink so often but lacked the strength for one more fight.System Requirements:Running Time: 80 minutesFormat: DVD AUDIO Genre:MUSIC DVD/CONCERTS Rating:NR UPC:060768833692 Manufacturer No:88336-9

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