Presented at the 74th Cannes Film Festival in July 2021, “The Velvet Underground” is the first musical documentary by Todd Haynes, director of “I’m Not There”, a false biopic on Bob Dylan. A sound and visual experience to discover on Apple TV +.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT ?
The Velvet Underground group created a new sound that revolutionized the world of music, becoming one of the most revered rock groups in the world. Directed by eminent filmmaker Todd Haynes, “The Velvet Underground” shows how the group of the same name has become a cultural reference symbolizing a set of contradictions: music that is both timeless and representative of its time, both literary and realistic. , and rooted in high street art and culture.
Available on Apple TV +
WELL WORTH A LOOK ?
With The Velvet Underground, the filmmaker continues his obsession with rockstars. He offers a musical documentary – his first – on the journey of this legendary group which overturned the New York scene in the mid-sixties. He tells the story of the major influence of their art on rock history, the complex personality of Lou Reed, but also the insidious hold that Andy Warhol – producer of their first album – exerted on the band.



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Andy Warhol, Lou Reed and Paul Morrissey.
To narrate their fate, Todd Haynes – who launched the project in 2017 before getting down to directing the thriller Dark Waters – has gathered many testimonials from artists: David Bowie, John Waters, and many others, but also the two members of the group still alive, John Cale and Moe Tucker. Everything is illustrated by rare archive images, a real gold mine for enthusiasts.
Inspired by experimental cinema, the director did not content himself with staging a conventional documentary. On the contrary. He therefore chooses to create an immersive experience, sound of course, but above all visual by playing with the screen. He cuts it, uses the split screen or even stroboscopic effects to give the illusion to viewers of traveling through time and rediscovering the fervor of the New York of yesteryear. Two tips before viewing: turn up the sound and choose the largest screen.
Check out the trailer for “The Velvet Underground”: