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Movies / On DVD / The U.S. vs. John Lennon
The U.S. vs. John Lennon

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The U.S. vs. John Lennon (2006)

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Reviews Counted:93

Fresh:71

Rotten:22

Average Rating:6.6/10

Consensus: Though it glosses over anything negative about Lennon, this documentary offers a lot of fascinating archival footage, plus its political issues still have relevance for today.

Rated: 12A [See Full Rating] for some strong language, violent images and drug references

Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins

Genre: Musical & Performing Arts

Theatrical Release:08-12-2006

Synopsis: David Leaf and John Scheinfeld struggled for over 15 years to produce this documentary, and it's emergence in the year 2006 is a testament to the film's timeliness. THE U.S. VS. JOHN LENNON focuses... David Leaf and John Scheinfeld struggled for over 15 years to produce this documentary, and it's emergence in the year 2006 is a testament to the film's timeliness. THE U.S. VS. JOHN LENNON focuses on a part of the music icon's life that is often overlooked: his politicization both during and after the Vietnam War. Towards the end of the Beatles' career, Lennon began taking the band in a new direction, using their popularity to circulate a message of peace in songs such as "Revolution." He became even more involved after the band broke up, and the film traces his growing awareness and dissent through both archival footage--much of which had lain forgotten in vaults for decades--and interviews with those close to him. This leads to the titular case, in which the U.S. government, which had already been monitoring his actions for some time, attempted to deport the star for fear of the threat he posed to the nation. The film also portrays Lennon's close relationship with Yoko Ono and the effect she had on his art, including an interview with the Japanese performance artist and muse that sheds much light on the couple's intimate history. Other interviews feature such luminaries as Mario Cuomo, Gore Vidal, Walter Cronkite, Angela Davis, and even G. Gordon Liddy, the former chief operative under Richard Nixon. The film avoids falling into the trap of one-dimensional idolatry, showing Lennon's politicization as reflective of his own spiritual path, a very personal, at times fallible, journey towards using his fame to make the world a better place. The constraints and depletion of civil liberties Lennon experienced at the hands of the U.S. government, then in the throws of a neo-McCarthyism, invite comparisons to contemporary politics. The creative ways he fought for expression and peace, meanwhile, expand upon the known brilliance of a remarkable figure. [More]

Starring: Yoko Ono, Walter Cronkite, Mario Cuomo, George McGovern

Starring: Yoko Ono, Walter Cronkite, Mario Cuomo, George McGovern, Richard Nixon, G. Gordon Liddy, Geraldo Rivera, Ron Kovic

Director: David Leaf, John Scheinfeld

Director: David Leaf, John Scheinfeld
Studio: Lions Gate Films

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Reviews for The U.S. vs. John Lennon

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
01/27/07
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
01/02/07
David Edwards
David Edwards
Daily Mirror [UK]
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Observer [UK] | comment Comment
12/30/06
Philip French
Philip French
Observer [UK]

If anything this film proves that song can have more impact than a little toe tapping and tub-thumping.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
12/30/06
Stella Papamichael
Stella Papamichael
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

What promises to be a provocative account of the late Beatle’s involvement with the American underground delivers precious little in this Yoko-approved documentary.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
11/29/06
Damon Wise
Damon Wise
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The film paints with swaggeringly broad strokes, the basic thesis being Lennon = good, government = bad.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
10/28/06
David Jenkins
David Jenkins
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Expertly assembled, this [is a] crisp, coherent documentary

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
09/06/06
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
04/23/09
Peter Keough
Peter Keough
Boston Phoenix

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
11/20/08
Michael Szymanski
Michael Szymanski
Hollywood.com

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
08/07/08
Jonathan Kiefer
Jonathan Kiefer
Sacramento News & Review

A powerful statement about how in a country of "democracy," the peace keepers are deemed the most dangerous to civilization...

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
07/10/07
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed

An excellent documentary in charting how celebrities can use their public status for good, especially if they have the guts to turn their backs on what made them famous for a greater good.

Full Review Source: Calgary Movies | comment Comment
06/21/07
Ryan Cracknell
Ryan Cracknell
Calgary Movies
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
06/09/07
Sydney Morning Herald

%u03B7 %u03C0%u03C1%u03BF%u03C3%u03C0%u03AC%u03B8%u03B5%u03B9%u03B1 %u03B1%u03C1%u03BA%u03B5%u03AF%u03C4%u03B1%u03B9 %u03C3%u03C4%u03B7%u03BD %u03AC%u03C8%u03BF%u03B3%u03B7 %u03C0%u03B1%u03C1%u03B1%u03B3%u03C9%u03B3%u03AE %u03C4%u03B7%u03C2, %u03C4%u03BF%

Full Review Source: Movies for the Masses | comment Comment
06/07/07
Joseph Proimakis
Joseph Proimakis
Movies for the Masses

It's as gripping as any thriller and as moving as any drama with the added fascination of the unfathomable relationship between John and Yoko.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
05/25/07
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
05/12/07
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Um belíssimo documentário que nos faz lembrar de que, por ter existido, John Lennon fez deste um mundo melhor.

comment Comment
01/31/07
Pablo Villaca
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena

An entertaining, lightweight (sometimes too much so) documentary about Lennon's deportation case

Full Review Source: Movie Habit | comment Comment
01/25/07
Marty Mapes
Marty Mapes
Movie Habit

...though I was familiar with the songs, I never really understood the message. I do now.

Full Review Source: Nolan's Pop Culture Review | comment Comment
12/13/06
Michael A. Smith
Michael A. Smith
Nolan's Pop Culture Review

By the time The U.S. vs. John Lennon is done, the filmmakers have reinforced the sense that pop music once produced prophets, as well as profits.

Full Review Source: Orlando Sentinel | comment Comment
11/24/06
Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel
 
 
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