The team behind the documentary The Velvet Underground are certainly big fans of the film’s namesake–at least that’s how the film comes across. Written and directed by Todd Haynes, this music documentary aims to show the influential rock group The Velvet Underground in all of their glory. To watch it feels like Todd Haynes and his crew are telling the story of how their favorite couple got together. The documentary clearly demonstrated a great sense of pride and admiration towards the band. The narrative progresses with a sense of anxiety, almost as if Haynes is afraid something might be left out and the audience might not fully understand all that is The Velvet Underground. The film’s attempt to fit in all the facts makes the story emulate the montages and split screen endeavors that the band itself explored. The elements the filmmakers felt were crucial to understanding the band, their moment in time, and their implications were looked at with wide eyes. However, the double edge of that lover’s sword is a confused vision. Watching The Velvet Underground is dizzying, an experience akin to rolling down a big grassy hill on a carefree day. The film is a phenomenal work of art but doesn’t have the space to catch its breath.
The golden perspective of a storyteller is seeing all the beautiful human expressions that are captured by the medium. The filmmakers had that and were overwhelmed by it. They cared about each avenue you had to take to get to know the full story of The Velvet Underground, and they didn’t sift out much. The documentary is comprehensive but unrelenting with information. Every person will walk out of the theater wanting to know more about different people, wishing that the filmmakers sat more with certain themes. Everyone will have their own opinion on what the documentary should have spent more time on. Personally, I am glad Haynes emphasized the influence that avant-garde and experimental music had on the creation of their musicians–and consequently, their sound.
The way that the film’s content is packaged does not do it full justice, for the way the medium is presented affects the message communicated. The medium that Haynes chose was a two-hour-long documentary. The Velvet Underground could have instead been made as a limited series, and the issues of shallowness could have been resolved. It would have given the filmmakers the ability to fully execute all of their ideas while maintaining artistic integrity.
The artistic creativity in The Velvet Underground stimulates the mind. The documentary shows an avid appreciation for the analog world that the band existed in, as the film frequently emulates the look of grain, dust, light, and the iconic border of 35mm film photography. Through this it achieves a perspective of nostalgic admiration, although its presentation of photography made it an obvious product of digital media. This was expressed through its employment of the split screen. The ability to exhibit two different high resolution images presented in sharp edged boxes is a signature of digital media.
The music direction and sound editing were interesting. Because the focus of the documentary to be about impactful sounds, I expected to be as auditorily pleased while watching this as I was by a film such as Sound of Metal. The documentary provided an opportunity for unbounded creative exploration of the auditory realm when one considers the music, the voices, and the testimonies of passion that were available to work with.
I am eating a banana while writing this so I think it’s safe to say that the documentary has impacted me. If this subject matter is an interest of yours and it’s at least a small healthy bud, this documentary could be good fun for you. How excited you would be about it depends on your taste of music and your average attention span. The Velvet Underground is about creative people, done creatively, by creative people. However, the respect the filmmakers have for The Velvet Underground is the leading cause of the documentary’s faults. Lots was offered and the filmmakers remained uncompromising on choosing to follow the route of one narrative.
The Velvet Underground is worthy of a documentary due to being an inspiration for some of the most honest creatives who have influenced pop culture. The band inspired populations of artists to find the artistic style within themselves. The filmmakers of the documentary made an effort to prove their appreciation of this and search for their own authentic style.
The Velvet Underground is currently streaming on Apple TV+.
Score: 3.5 / 5 stars