Deauville has brought to light the immense talent of Leonard Cohen with the documentary “Hallelujah, the words of Leonard Cohen”, which retraces the life of the singer and focuses on the creation of his most famous title.
Leonard Cohen, singer too little recognized
Leonard Cohen was a great poet and singer-songwriter. Although he threw himself late in music (after his 30th birthday), he quickly found his creative identity. From 1967, on his first album Songs of Leonard Cohenwe find magnificent pieces like Susanna, Sisters of Mercy or So Long, Marianneused in particular in the soundtrack of Good Morning England (2009).
Cinephiles have indeed been able to hear songs by Leonard Cohen on several occasions. Like the dark and haunting Everybody Knows in Exotica (1994)or the so tragically beautiful Dance Me To The End Of Love to which Al Pacino dances in Time for a weekend (1992), while nevermind was used for the credits of True Detective season 2.
On his fifteen albums, the singer talks about sexuality in a raw and poetic way, of love but also of loneliness, of a certain malaise, of his personal life (on companions or his father) and above all religious. Evidenced by what is probably his most famous pieces, Hallelujah.
The real author ofHallelujah
It is from this song that Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine wanted to start, the directors of documentary Hallelujah, the words of Leonard Cohenpresented this year at Deauville Festival. A documentary that traces the life of Leonard Cohen before focusing on the long creation of this title (he took years to write it). A piece that had everything to hit. But Colombia’s refusal to release the album in the United States Various Positions (1984) decided otherwise.
The years that followed, Hallelujah was played in concerts by Leonard Cohen, who eventually edit the lyrics to make it a less pious and more salacious version. And came cover of Jeff Buckley, in 1994, from which flowed countless others rarely (if ever) at the level of the first work. The documentary thus allows, in addition to highlighting a remarkable artist and a rare elegance, to recall that he is indeed the true author of this song (and not Buckley as many still think). Song which was also popularized by the animated film Shrek (2001).
If the subject is fascinating, and we never tire of listening to Leonard Cohen at all ages with subtle humor, we can only regret the classicism of the documentary which is content to use archive images and testimonials. A lack of ambition that the documentary genre shows a little too often, but which here can possibly be understood by the singer’s refusal to give any interview for the film, while granting the directors his blessing.
The production ofHallelujah, the words of Leonard Cohen began in 2016, shortly before the death of the artist (November 7, 2016 at age 82). The movie will be released in French cinemas on October 19, 2022.
