The Velvet Underground – A Portrait of Classic Rock’s Unsung Heroes

The mid-to-late 1960s were a tumultuous and eventful period of time politically, culturally and economically. Music as an art-form gained more significance than it ever had before, as it became an outlet for self-expression during the counterculture movement, and reflected the rapid change society underwent during that period of time. The Beatles dropped the fab 4 act embraced experimentation, Jimi Hendrix explored psychedelia and The Doors were about as suggestive and scandalous as one could get at the time. That being said, while many artists in the mainstream pushed boundaries, no one embodied counterculture like the experimental rock group The Velvet Underground. At the time a fairly obscure band, The Velvet Underground went on to become one of the most influential groups in rock history, laying the foundation for many sub-genres that would rise to prominence within the next few decades, including punk, noise rock and dream pop. The group achieved widespread popularity years after their initial run and are now appreciated by a new generation of music fans.

Despite their popularity, there is a certain mystique surrounding the Velvet Underground, the fact that they weren’t successful during their initial run and there is a limited amount of footage and interviews from that time. Acclaimed filmmaker and music connoisseur Todd Haynes dives back into this world of classic rock with a brand new rockumentary titled The Velvet Underground. The film chronicles the conception of the titular band, as they emerge from obscurity to craft some of the most influential rock records of all time. It focuses on celebrating the artistic brilliance of the core members of the band, as well as their main collaborators, such as Nico and the legendary provocateur, Andy Warhol.

While The Velvet Underground is intriguing from a filmmaking standpoint, it’s completely inaccessible to those without an intimate knowledge of the titular band. Nevertheless, it is a film made exclusively for die-hard fans therefore those who are not well acquainted with with their discography will find very little to appreciate and emotionally latch onto.

Haynes knowledge of classic rock is unmatched by most filmmakers and his passion certainly shines through in his filmmaking. It’s minimalistic visually and veers away from the typical structure that rockumentaries are known for. He utilizes archival footage of the band and plays the clips on loop, overlapping them with narration from authors, filmmakers and musicians that were apart of or influenced that scene that The Velvet Underground were at the center of. It’s interesting to hear all these different artists and intellectuals from different mediums pay tribute to the band and tell their story.

In the end, The Velvet Underground is a difficult film to critique as it was made specifically for a very niche audience; one that will probably thoroughly enjoy the film, as it delves deep into the band’s psyche and musical process, with a bold filmmaking style that matches their experimental essence. However, others will get little out of it and may even feel frustrated by Haynes unwelcoming approach. That being said, it is still a passionate tribute to a band that deserve to be celebrated.

still courtesy of Apple

Follow my blog on Instagram @moviereviews100!

If you liked this, please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Instagram or like us on Facebook.

Tristan French