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In the beginning, there was Woodstock.
But when it comes to festival culture, Woodstock is the hinge between before and after.
Even its predecessor Monterey Pop is often considered, not unjustifiably, the proto-Woodstock.
Filmmakers contend that their respective festivals are catalysts and barometers of political and cultural sea change.
They are either utopian projects or, in the case ofMessage to Love, failed utopian ones.
Wewantmusic to facilitate peace, love, and understanding where other efforts have failed.
Woodstocks enduring place in our cultural consciousness is almost entirely the work ofWoodstock, not the other way around.
The same is true of Beychella andHomecoming.
The actual event is never enough, particularly if it happened before the internet did.
Festival films are constantly reminding you that its neverjustabout the music.
(Gladys Knight says this verbatim inSummer of Soul.
That said, theyre not that serious.
Festival movies do not demand devoted concentration.
The very best ones go one step further.
Not only is thisa whole vibe, they contend.
Its a vibe ofenormoushistorical and cultural significance.
True to Newport style, everyone looks absolutelyalive with pleasure, and the film is positively breezy for it.
Louis Armstrong only stops smiling long enough to put his lips to the trumpet.
But even more wonderfully preserved here is the prior generation of folk and blues musicians.
in close-up between shots of him strumming his Style O resonator guitar.
The festival and D.A.
Jefferson Airplane and the Who take the stage dressed like paisley sorcerers.
Brian Jones, alive and well, strolls the grounds.
And my goodness, that Ravi Shankar finale is nothing short of captivating.
Director Michael Wadleigh arrived in Bethel early, stayed late, and shot 120 hours of footage in between.
The film takes pains to make Woodstock feel miraculous.
At this it succeeds.
But if youre into the Quiet One, then play this film loud.
The music follows suit.
Have you brought any boots with you?
It looks good doing it, too.
Unlike most other films on this list,Message to Lovehas real stakes and genuine conflict.
This festival business is becoming a psychedelic concentration camp where people are being exploited!
Shes visibly shaken as she appeals to the audience for respect.
Theres plenty more where that came from.
Its a real bad trip, but one hell of a film.
The music is droney, ravey, psychedelic, heavily rhythmic, and still weird.
The camera lingers on blood-red sunsets and blue dawns.
Ventriloquists, sitar players, and jugglers entertain the campsite, where the movie spends the most time.
Glastonbury is first and foremost a pagan festival, notes a festival-goer in a brief man-on-the-street-style interview, andGlastonburyagrees.
If Worthy Farm means nothing to you, this isnt for you.
If it does, try it out.
This isnt difficult to explain.
For one thing, dance music from 70s disco onward was the domain of dark clubs and hours-long sets.
mentality will save the world.
Its almost like Woodstock reinvented, gushes Armin Van Buren.
Reader, it is not.
Made in America(2014)
Was 2012 really so long ago?
(Do we though?)
DAngelo talks about the Tea Party.
Odd Future-era Tyler, The Creator talks about how he likes bright colors.
Worst of all,Made in Americacommits the cardinal sin of the festival film: It sounds godawful.
Not that it really matters, since this is a 93-minute Jay-Z commercial.
Still, that sound engineer did Pearl Jam and Passion Pit remember them?
Were we ever so naive?
But realistically, does anyone remember anything else about Coachella 2018besidesBeyonce?
All of this was by design, and preserved byHomecoming.
Bey is rarely alone onstage, flanked by step dancers and backed by a marching band.
The music rarely pauses.
Its dazzling, and it crystallizes the Beyonce myth in short order.Made in Americacould never!
Regardless, the music, televised at last, is the point.
