Can't You Hear the Wind Howl? The Life & Music of Robert Johnson(1998)
09/26/1998 (US)Music, Documentary1h 17m
8.8
Overview
An in-depth, award-winning documentary on the life and music of legendary bluesman Robert Johnson. Mixing rare photographs, exclusive interviews, and dramatic re-creations, it presents a compelling portrait of this enigmatic figure.
Peter Meyer
Director
Peter Meyer
Writer
Jean Compton
Writer
Top Billed Cast
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A review by GenerationofSwine
10.0
Written on January 12, 2023
I watched one documentary about Robert Johnson that focused entirely on his legendary deal with the devil... which is an interesting part of the story, but that's not really who Robert Johnson was.
And I've seen documentaries about Robert Johnson that scorned the mythology about the crossroads and focused entirely on the music... which is just as interesting, certainly more relevant, but that's really only a part of who Robert Johnson was.
This one is striking because it balances the two, but it also goes to lengths to try and give the viewer a glimpse into who he was as a man by interviewing people that knew him, were acquainted with him, and had anecdotes to tell the view that weren't about chords, lyrics, or Faustian pacts.
That's the documentary about Robert Johnson that I have always wanted to see, but don't think anyone else has ever made. It's almost as magical as his music, and when it does cover his music it dives a little deeper than just his three most popular songs.
And I've seen documentaries about Robert Johnson that scorned the mythology about the crossroads and focused entirely on the music... which is just as interesting, certainly more relevant, but that's really only a part of who Robert Johnson was.
This one is striking because it balances the two, but it also goes to lengths to try and give the viewer a glimpse into who he was as a man by interviewing people that knew him, were acquainted with him, and had anecdotes to tell the view that weren't about chords, lyrics, or Faustian pacts.
That's the documentary about Robert Johnson that I have always wanted to see, but don't think anyone else has ever made. It's almost as magical as his music, and when it does cover his music it dives a little deeper than just his three most popular songs.
