The U.S. vs. John Lennon (***1/4)

? This documentary is broader than the title would suggest. Although the second half does explore the Nixon administration’s efforts to discredit and deport the former Beatle, who had moved to New York, nearly an hour is devoted to what preceded that. There’s a good deal of footage of both Lennon the political activist and other activities happening at the same time, mostly centered around anti-Vietnam War protests. Contemporary interviews of various leftish types such as Angela Davis, Gore Vidal, and George McGovern supplement the old clips.

+  The period footage of Lennon himself is most fascinating. This includes, for example, footage of Lennon and his second wife, Yoko Ono, co-hosting The Mike Douglas Show and featuring Black Panther Bobby Seale as a guest. There’s also Lennon/Ono’s famous “bed-ins” designed to raise awareness while placating a press fascinated by the newlyweds. While the singer’s aims were serious, he appeared not to take himself too seriously, unlike many of his contemporaries. The sight of thousands of demonstrators in Washington, DC, chant his simple hit song “Give Peace a Chance,” also reveals Lennon as a savvy marketer of nonviolence. (This footage is an upbeat change from the vulgar chant directed at the Johnson White House, seen earlier.) Ono is also one of the people interviewed by the filmmakers, and she’s helpful in explaining Lennon’s state of mind, which could be described as paranoid, except that the government really was out to get him.

- The movie’s a lot better at putting the investigations into the context of Lennon’s life than the activities of the Nixon administration, though there are some efforts in that direction. Watergate mastermind G. Gordon Liddy would appear to be the only pro-“establishment” figure interviewed. (Nixon White House counsel John Dean and a couple of 1970s FBI agents appear too, but expressing regret.) Additionally, I would have liked the film to further explore the effect of the investigations on Lennon’s psyche. One can presume that his move away from political music (along with his retreat from political activism) as well as his two-year “lost weekend” that began in 1973 might have stemmed from the stress created by the government’s lengthy efforts to deport him. But it would have been useful for the film to discuss this.

= ***1/4 A worthwhile film that will appeal to Lennon fans and students of cultural history, less to those interested in political skullduggery.

IMDb link