by Robert Wilkinson
I first gave this to you 15 years ago. It is a unique, charming and profound snapshot of an interview from a frozen moment in 1969 when a teen with a reel to reel tape recorder snuck into John Lennon’s hotel room in Toronto during the "Live Peace" era in Toronto. This 5 minute short is a true work of art. If you're interested in spending a somewhat fascinating 300 seconds, read on.
A little backdrop to the interview. John Lennon was arguably the most famous musician in the world, but he couldn't enter the US as he had been deemed a political threat by J. Edgar Hoover and Richard Nixon for his open anti-war statements. This short, nominated for an Oscar in 2008, takes some of the dialog of the interview between 14 year old Jerry Levitan and sets it to a fluid series of morphing illustrations by James Braithwaite and Alex Kurina, offering a somewhat surreal visual.
Director Josh Raskin later said “I just wanted to literally animate the words, unfurling in the way I imagined they would appear inside the head of a baffled 14-year-old boy interviewing his idol.'"
It does have the effect of making me miss him all the more, even after 44 years. For all his issues, he was a remarkable Being. Watch this short for peace. Do the rest of your day for peace. Live every minute for peace.
For your entertainment, I Met the Walrus
© Copyright 2024 Robert Wilkinson
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