"Revolution" (1968) on Netflix. A must-see (really).

Yesterday, while in a deep contemplative state, I watched the 1968 film "Revolution"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063503/

It's a documentary of a sort, documenting in-person what was then a "new" thing, LSD and hippies and acid rock, filmed in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco during the 1960s. My son (adult, college student) watched it with me.

It was bittersweet in weird ways. First of all, that's not even my generation- that's the generation of my older siblings. A lot of this hippie idealism had been burnt out, refried, reconstituted, and reburnt several times over by the time I was even a teenager in the mid 1970s.

People interviewed in the film seem to pour their real heart out for all to see, for all its beauty and fear. I was rivited to the screen several times as I heard the words spoken- I know those words. I know those sentiments, and I hear them expressed sincerely all the time... I hear these words all the time, every day, from my beloved family. Haunting... the most normal dreams and hopes of young people with real love in themselves... haven't changed, really they haven't.

I hear the very same optimistic tones, and the happy uncontrolled laughter and spirit of the young folks I live with, and see those same kind of young optimistic faces in 1968 dreaming the same dreams and even expressing them the same way.

Look at the main character, the blond hippie girl. Take a good look. You know that girl. I really loved the scene with the catholic nun talking about why she identified with hippies.

The nekkid dance ensemble thing near the end... it just plain blew my mind. The power and "now!" of the motions... it's weird for me because I've always loathed anything having to do with groups of people dancing. Yes, an unfair prejudice. But this... wow. Few times in my whole life have I been so unexpectedly struck with an art form that so affected me.

In the last frames of the film, the innocent young girl's acid trip is over, she is finally truly is at rest, asleep, alone, and... unprotected. She could be your daughter. Your mom. (look close, that might actually be your real life grandmother! Sorry, couldn't resist!)

If you have Netflix, find time to watch this. Watch it with your daughter or your grandmother.

How could something so pure and right be contaminated and dismantled? I don't have to even tell you. It's all in the movie anyway.



(I hope to do a proper review later... but I was really deeply moved by this film and have not yet integrated yesterday's deep contemplative state into the big picture...)

 

I love this film too. Sadly it's been taken off Netflix.

I'm looking into downloading it off Amazon ("Instant video").

 

I saw this recently as well (right before it was taken off Netflix). It was a wonderful filmic time capsule and I must say that the nun was one of the highlights for me. Just beautiful.