70's Song Remains the Same

A DECADE UNDER THE INFLUENCE (2003)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

(Originally reviewed in 2004)

The late 60's and the 1970's were the golden age of cinema - a time of reflection on society and the seeping corruption at its core. Racism, a futile war, disco, porno, rebellion in droves, Kent State, Watergate - they all contributed to a different world than many had anticipated. The films of that era were in-your-face when it came to growing concerns over such problems, not to mention the emergence of the sexual revolution, homosexuality, feminism, and so on. "A Decade Under the Influence" aims to reflect those films that essentially were designed to wake us up with a cold slap in the face of such hooey like "Hello, Dolly" and those Doris Day romantic comedies. The problem is that the decade started off with a bang and ended with a whimper, and we are all still whimpering. And this film forgets about the whimper.

Though there are numerous clips from classics such as "French Connection," "Mean Streets," "Taxi Driver," "All the President's Men," "MASH" among many others, there is no real attempt to understand why such cinema was so well-regarded then by audiences when today, nobody could care less. We only get fleeting examples, some more notable than others. A more fitting documentary on such a similar subject was one of the episodes of "American Cinema," where Peter Biskind remarked that "Taxi Driver" could not be made in the 1990's, though it was a box-office success in 1976.

Another problem is that all these directors are treated with reverence and speak reverentially of their work. Not one of them ever discloses that their egoistic self-indulgences helped to ruin a nearly stellar decade. Martin Scorsese, one of America's finest directors, went way overbudget on the deservedly financial disaster known as "New York, New York," released the same year as "Star Wars," a financial blockbuster. William Friedkin's own "Sorcerer," a remake of "The Wages of Fear," was a box-office flop. Francis Ford Coppola is briefly discussed with his own financial gains and follies, as is Michael Cimino's own financial ruin with "Heaven's Gate," a film that destroyed a studio. Yes, yes, yes, the 1970's were never the same again after "Star Wars" and "Heaven's Gate," but the truth is that audiences didn't rely on the 70's mavericks to tell stories anymore - they wanted fantasy and adventure. Look at what transpired in the early 80's. We had "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "E.T.," "The Empire Strikes Back." "Superman II," all of which were major box-office hits. "Raging Bull" is considered the best film of the 1980's but it was a box-office flop. The war between success and talent continues - would you prefer the latest Spielberg extravaganza or a dark Scorsese film from the gut? Yes, brilliant films from the studio system continue to be made but with each passing year, there are less and less. The independent films are the ones to look for, if you can find them at your local theater. Hollywood distribution is the name of the game, particularly at festivals like Sundance. It is all about pure luck to get a highly personal film made today.

Though no documentary, even this one which runs nearly three hours (expanded from the truncated version shown on cable), can hope to represent every film from this period yet the late director Ted Demme and co-director Richard LaGravenese brings some measure of depth to certain directors. It is nice that Monte Hellman's terrific "Two Lane-Blacktop" is discussed, and how its script was published in Esquire before it even got released. It also helps that Hellman further discusses how the film changed drastically from the original script, initially hailed as the film of the year. There is also a brief retrospective of the long-forgotten Hal Ashby, who helmed beautifully made, offbeat films like "Shampoo" and "Coming Home." Jon Voight and Julie Christie throw in their two cents on what a wonderful director he was, even if the 1980's was not kind to him (though no light is shed on this matter). Sidney Lumet expounds on his technique and what he expected from his actors, but unremarkable films from the 1980's like "Family Business" and "Garbo Talks" are not discussed, nor is a brilliant film like "Running on Empty."

"A Decade Under the Influence" refuses to ask their interview subjects why they failed to enliven cinema, to make the kinds of personal films they used to make. So we are left with their highs and lows during the 1970's but rarely do they remark on their current work (some discuss recent independent films from other directors). They just don't make them like they used to.