ONCE WERE BROTHERS: ROBBIE ROBERTSON AND THE BAND ( Daniel Roher 2019)

[Chris Knipp]

DANIEL ROHER: ONCE WERE BROTHERS: ROBBIE ROBERTSON AND THE BAND (2019)

[preview]



Rock legend revisited

We heard about this in connection with Toronto. It opened the festival. It features grand old Canadian rock superstar Robbie Robertson. It was made by a young Torontonian fan, only 26. It's just the umteenth rock music documentary, you'll say, and marred by bias because it's dominated by Robbie's constant voice. Of the five members of The Band three are dead, and besides Robbie only Garth Hudson remains, the shyest, and he's not talking. But still. This is an excuse to hear greatest hits and look at a lot of classic period footage from half a century ago younger generations don't know. . . to wander those byways that led up to the rock summit held on Thanksgiving Day 1976 known as The Last Waltz and committed to film with typical precision and thoroughness by Martin Scorsese. So why not? And if his version dominates, at least Robbie is a good storyteller. And The Band? One of the most enduring groups in the history of popular music.

Release: February 21, 2020. Full review to follow.