Yes I know I'm waaaay behind the times with regards to Searching for Sugar Man, especially since it got Best Documentary at the BAFTAs and the Oscars (and a whole host of other important awards). It went on my list of things to watch in January, and I've only just got round to setting aside an hour and a half to sit down and watch it. And maaaan, was it worth it.
The film tells the story of Rodriguez, a 70s music icon that never was. He was spotted by a couple of successful producers playing in bars around Detroit, was signed to a label and recorded an album called Cold Fact, released in 1970. Interviews with the producers in the film convey a feeling of excitement - they were sure they'd just uncovered the sound of their generation. But it, and the follow up album Coming from Reality, bombed in America. He was dumped from the label and went back to obscurity.
Somehow (and I would really like to know more about this) a copy of Cold Fact made its way to South Africa, which was in the grip of apartheid. It became the sound track to the white liberal anti-apartheid movement, to whom his lyrics struck a rebellious chord. South African record labels picked up the distribution rights from Rodriguez's ex-American label, and went on to sell somewhere in the region of half a million copies. He was bigger in South Africa than the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Everyone had a copy, and some of his songs were even banned on the radio due to their provocative nature.
South Africans Stephen Segerman, a record shop manager and Craig Bartholomew-Strydom, a music journalist, decided to find out more about the elusive Rodriguez. All the information that South African had on him were the record sleeves, and of course, his lyrics. Rumours circulated that he was dead, and that he committed suicide on stage.
*** Warning.... I'm about to massively spoil this, it's the best part of the film so if you're planning on watching it, please look away now! ***
To cut a long search short, they were rewarded when in 1998, Rodriguez's daughter gets in touch via a website dedicated to gathering information about him. She confirms an increasing suspicion developed through the film that Rodriguez was indeed alive and well, and still living in Detroit. When Stephen and Craig recount the feeling of finding him alive, it's instantly one of the best moments of the film. They speak as if at that moment, their lives were complete.
It transpires that Rodriguez knows nothing of his intense fame in South Africa, and never received any of the royalties from the sales of his albums. It's a tragic part, especially when it is revealed that Rodriguez and his family are poor, and work hard to make ends meet. The best interview in my opinion was that of Clarence Avant, the owner of his US record label, who becomes increasingly hostile and aggressive in response to leading questions. The film doesn't investigate this side of the story beyond the interview, which I think was a bit of a shame.
But, it is clear why this film is so popular, and has done so well during awards season. It is powerful and humble at the same time, telling a story of the strength of music and its ability to become a voice of a people. The way it was shot was stunning - the best were panned shots of crumbling Detroit in the 70s with Rodriguez's music in the background, as if it were a modern music video, but crucially without him there - a clear reference to his elusiveness. Once the film has rediscovered him, there are similar panned shots to his music, but with Rodriguez walking in shot, put back where he belongs. There's also a powerful shot of a window with some faint moving hands, again with his music in the background. The window opens, and out comes Rodriguez, emerging from the shadows.
The most interesting aspect for me wasn't really the nature of the music industry. Having said this, although the film was never explicit, I did wonder whether his records flopped in America in part due to his Mexican nationality. Instead, I saw it more as an addition to the history of apartheid South Africa. Too often is the classic black vs white view promulgated, and this film serves to remind us of the important white anti-apartheid South Africans desperate for change. But the star of the show was Rodriguez himself - unassuming, humble and seemingly happy, but ultimately the writer of some life-changing music.
The producer, Simon Chinn (responsible for Oscar winning film Man of Wire in 2009), said that in his mind the secret of a great documentary is a powerful narrative - a film that is greater than the sum of its parts - it's about "delivering something intangible." After watching this film, I can really see what he means.
No comments:
Post a Comment