Dont Look Back (DA Pennebaker, 1967): USA

Reviewed by William Conlin. Viewed at the Fé Bland Forum at Santa Barbara City College.

The times they are a-changin’ Bob Dylan once told us. In 1965, this was certainly the case. Not only were the times changing for music with Dylan’s controversial switch from acoustic to electric, but filmmaking was changing as well. In the early 60’s the direct cinema movement breathed new life into the documentary genre. With one rule: no interference, the filmmakers were able to show us what life really looked like. On the heels of films like Primary and Chronicles of a Summer, DA Pennebaker’s Dont Look Back gave us an intimate look at a major public figure without a lot of the bias that occurs in standard documentary.

Pennebaker chronicles Dylan’s 1965 tour of the United Kingdom. Along the way we see multiple sides of Dylan as is confronted by fans, reporters, fellow musicians and members of an inept older generation that never quite understood him. Sometimes he lazily ignores them but at other times he verbally assaults them while still not fully explaining his reasoning. His entourage, including folk singer Joan Baez and business manager Albert Grossman allow moments of pure frankness mixed with public moments of seemingly endless apathy.

Before this film began, I thought I was in for an interesting documentary with some classic Dylan music. What I got out of it was more than I could have imagined. This film completely proves the point of direct cinema: the camera can show truth all by itself. Pennebaker served as director, cameraman and editor for this film, allowing total control over content and giving him the liberty to follow his “against the grain” style. One of my favorite examples of Pennebaker’s nonconformity is his refusal to use punctuation. He goes by DA, not D.A. and the film is officially called Dont Look Back, not Don’t Look Back.

This film, like many others, takes Dylan and attempts to show his humanity. Sometimes, the spotlight makes people larger than life and if last years I’m Not There proved anything, it proved that Dylan is looked at as a living legend. I’ve always been fascinated with the behind the scenes aspect to things. Sometimes I enjoy the special features on a DVD more than the film itself, so this film was a great pleasure to see. If you want that backstage look or if you are trying to see who Bob Dylan really is, Don’t Look Back is the film for you.