Taking Woodstock

I just did a little time traveling, and the vehicle for my trip was a film entitled Taking Woodstock. This true story is based on the memoir of Elliot Tiber who was instrumental in finding the Woodstock Concert a new venue when its permit was revoked in Wallkill, New York. What I liked about this film is that it didn’t focus on the music or the legends that performed there. If that is what you want, there are better films. Rather, it focused on the behind the scenes aspects and the impact it had on a family who helped put on one of the most famous concerts in history in less than 30 days time.

This era was so faithfully recreated that oftentimes I thought I was watching archival footage, when one of the cast members would appear. The art department and the costumers did a tremendous job recreating the look of Woodstock. And Ang Lee used various film and editing techniques that also echoed the period. The look of this film is perfect.

After watching this movie, it is amazing to me that half a million people showed up and without proper lodging, sanitation, and with tremendous food shortages, that the concert went on with minimal incidents. Anyone who has ever been to a weekend long concert knows that what is on stage is only one part of the drama. What goes on in the audience can be just as compelling, not to mention what goes on behind the scenes, or backstage.

Besides being a time capsule for a generation, Woodstock was also used as a template for what to do and what not to do in the future. Many innovations were created to pull this event off, and many lessons were learned to help future events plan more efficiently. This concert has been copied, but never duplicated. It was a once in a lifetime happening and this film really captures its spirit.

Rating: First Run Part history, all entertainment