Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Leonard Cohen
Directed by Donald Brittain and Don Owen
Written by Donald Brittain
1965/Canada
National Film Board of Canada
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box] “I have tried in my way to be free.” ― Leonard Cohen, “Bird on a Wire”[/box]
There are almost no songs and only a little poetry in this 45-minute documentary about Canada’s most famous poet. Yet I came out of my viewing wanting to dig into a book of his poems.
The film follows Cohen to poetry readings and at home around Europe and in his native Montreal. The writer proves to be thoroughly engaging in moods both philosophical and light-hearted.
I’ve always loved Leonard Cohen’s songs. This film predates the 1967 launch of his musical career so, other than a minor little ditty, you won’t find any of them here. Yet, the man is so charismatic that it didn’t matter at all. Highly recommended to fans. The complete film is available on YouTube.
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