Oscar-winning musical chronicle that brilliantly captures the three-day rock concert and celebration of peace and love that became a capstone for the Sixties.Oscar-winning musical chronicle that brilliantly captures the three-day rock concert and celebration of peace and love that became a capstone for the Sixties.Oscar-winning musical chronicle that brilliantly captures the three-day rock concert and celebration of peace and love that became a capstone for the Sixties.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 2 wins & 2 nominations total
- Self - The Who
- (uncredited)
- Themselves
- (as Sha Na Na)
- Themselves
- (as Crosby Stills and Nash)
- Themselves
- (as Sly & the Family Stone)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe two- and three-panel screen presentations seen through much of the movie were innovations born of necessity on the part of its creators and film editor Martin Scorsese. With so much footage shot and the studio's unwillingness to expand the length of the released movie's running time, it was decided that a way must be found to maximize the amount of footage that could be used. Because of the wide-screen aspect of the release, it was realized that the multi-panel format could be used most effectively to not only include as much film footage as possible, but to also have concert footage and crowd reaction shots together on the same screen. The filmmakers believed it was important to show the viewing public just what a monumental event the Woodstock festival had unintentionally become. This method also allowed them to show many behind-the-scene activities that reflected all the hard work put in by the production staff and crew, another important detail that the concert's producers thought was very important for the public to see as they always had contended that without the efforts of the entire production staff, this event easily could have degenerated into a disaster.
- Quotes
Interviewer: What do you think about the kids?
Police Officer: From what I've heard from the outside sources for many years I was very, very much surprised and I'm very happy to say we think the people of this country should be proud of these kids, not withstanding the way they dress or the way they wear their hair, that's their own personal business; but their, their inner workings, their inner selves, their, their self-demeanour cannot be questioned; they can't be questioned as good American citizens.
Interviewer: That's kind of surprising coming from a cop.
Police Officer: [smiling] I'm not a cop, I'm the Chief of Police.
- Crazy creditsAfter the closing credits of the Director's Cut, Crosby Stills & Nash are heard singing "Cost of Freedom". The visuals are of a still shot of the crowd at Woodstock, fading into a long list of names of various people, including performers who were at Woodstock, who since have passed away. The list of names ends with the following: Peace Music Ecology, Liberty Community Democracy, Alternatives Knowledge Altruism.
This is then followed by: Woodstock Generation 19**-20**. R.I.P. it up, tear it up, have a Ball.
- Alternate versionsNBC edited 88 minutes from this film for its 1981 network television premiere.
- ConnectionsEdited into The Kids Are Alright (1979)
Nevertheless, 'Woodstock' the movie is a gem for its numerous moments of brilliance on stage and the relatively innovative use of multiple sound-tracks and camera angles that paved the way first for similarly brilliant concert films like Scorsese's 'The Last Waltz.'
This film was largely responsible for the explosion in popularity of The Who's 'Tommy,' and it's easy to see why. Their renditions of the rock opera's high points, culminating with 'See Me Feel Me/Listening to You' in the early morning hours, are simply breathtaking. Ironically, the Who frequently slagged their performance at Woodstock and the hippie movement in general, and Townshend famously clobbered anti-establishment activist Abbie Hoffman with a blow to the head from his guitar after Hoffman tried to take the mike during their set (sadly, this legendary bit of rock lore was missed entirely by the film crew, who were changing reels between songs at the time). Their set's most serendipitous aspect--the sun breaking over the horizon during the instrumental climax of their final number--was a consequence of the group's holding up their performance for several hours, demanding to be paid in advance. They were also quite angry about having been unwittingly dosed with LSD, which had been added to basically every form of beverage--including ice-cubes--in the backstage area. They translate their frustration and anger into a manic energy unrivalled in the history of live rock.
Also perilously high on LSD was Santana, whose performance of 'Soul Sacrifice' became a defining moment for that incarnation of the group. Though Carlos Santana's guitar was always the focus of Santana, the film's sound editing and camera work dwell more on drummer Michael Shreve, a drop-dead brilliant jazz-trained percussionist who joined Santana while still in his teens. One could easily be persuaded that Shreve was the real genius of Santana from this performance.
Other star-making turns are here to be found: the first public appearance of Crosby, Stills, & Nash, delivering a stripped-down performance of 'Suite: Judy Blue-Eyes' supported only by Still's acoustic guitar and their legendary three-part harmonies, Joe Cocker refashioning the Beatles' 'With a Little Help From My Friends' from psychedelic pop into gut-wrenching soul, and the hugely underrated Richie Havens' acoustic folk introspection.
The snippets of dialogue and interviews date poorly, with the exception of a humorous turn by Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia, who gives a quick running commentary as he rolls and displays a fat marijuana joint for the camera (the Dead refused permission to have their performance featured in the film).
Perhaps the most celebrated moment of the film is Jimi Hendrix's set with his new group, the Band of Gypsies, which features his virtuosic take on the 'Star-Spangled Banner.' Though the hippie rhetoric about the glorious counter-culture revolution of the sixties is tiresome (I find it somewhat telling that, due to weather, Hendrix's set was pushed back to the morning of the last day, and was missed by the majority of the filthy, soaked, and hung-over crowd), Hendrix (who, unbeknownst to many, was an Army paratrooper before he became a rock god) captures the confusion and fear aroused by the Vietnam War and the rift it inspired between American youth and the so-called establishment with stunning clarity. He also proves quite convincingly why he will never be equaled as a rock guitarist or an icon of cool.
Forget the hippie nonsense and get off on some of the highest-quality recordings and concert footage of the golden age of rock.
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Woodstock: 25th Anniversary Edition
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $600,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $126,562
- Gross worldwide
- $320,610
- Runtime3 hours 4 minutes
- Sound mix
- 4-Track Stereo(original release)
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