For a band named after its singer's desire to be the bridge between the known and the unknown, much about the Doors remains a mystery. The latest cinematic production about the band, a documentary titled ""When You're Strange,"" seeks to demystify some of that enigma.
Inevitably, any hour-and-a-half-long flick that tries to capture the essence of the Lizard King and company is bound to be inaccurate, unfaithful or at least embellished to a certain extent. Oliver Stone's 1991 movie about the band nauseated critics and the living members of the group because of the artistic liberties Stone took in portraying the band members.
But this film, directed by Tom DiCillo, is different. It doesn't aim to shock the viewer with any major revelations about the group.
The storyline follows the major points in the band's progression: from the moment Jim Morrison recites his songs for the ""rock concert in his head"" to bandmate Ray Manzarek on Venice Beach, to their tenure as the Whiskey-a-go-go's house band. It then focuses on the defiant performance on the Ed Sullivan Show, their ascendance to the top of the charts, the infamous act of exhibitionism at a Miami show that incited decrying for decency from moral conservatives, and finally Morrison's sudden death at the age of 27.
The stories have been repeated over and over, becoming myth, with the poet-rock performer reveling in the Dionysian as Manzarek, guitarist Robbie Krieger and drummer John Densmore provide the choral support.
What's really fresh about this documentary on the group is the metaphorical grout between the rock. Previously unreleased footage of performances and band interviews, in addition to clips from Morrison's disorienting short film ""HWY: An American Pastoral,"" are interspersed throughout the film. These unseen moments portray the bandmembers as complex characters with distinct personalities and backgrounds. Tension predictably arises, threatening to dissolve the group. But, of course, it never does.
Furthermore, DiCillo succeeds in contextualizing the Doors as a symptom of a generational mood.
With a seductive, contemplative, yet detached tone of voice evocative of the lizard king himself, Johnny Depp narrates the film, at one point describing the '60s counterculture movement as a ""cultural earthquake ... out of a crack steps a band named the Doors.""
A short clip of RFK speaking of a new America at Kansas State University reminds us that by the late '60s, the country was changing. Preceding the clip, Morrison, bearded, contemplative, recites a line from one of his poems: ""Have you been born yet and are you alive?"" The sense of becoming anew, of questioning the current and striving for something more genuine or clearer, grips not just Morrison, but an entire nation.
The idealism would soon fade: Morrison heads to Paris, weary that his band's music had taken a backseat to the spectacle, one in which the protagonist is expected to entertain the audience with his erratic behavior.
Brilliantly, DiCillo juxtaposes scenes of America's own fall from grace, images of war in Vietnam, newspapers bearing headlines of leaders assassinated and shots of Hendrix and Joplin, dead at 27, with the Doors playing ""The End"" in the background.
However, it's not all gloom in this film. In fact, it presents a band that is serious but also mischievous and funny.
With great approval, Manzarek lauds the film, saying it's ""the anti-Oliver Stone, ... the true story of the Doors.""
However, with the Doors, especially Morrison, obscuring the truth is where the joy arises. Perhaps the most telling moment of the film occurs toward the very beginning, as a reporter asks Morrison what his occupation is.
In response, Morrison smiles slowly from the corner of his mouth, staring directly into the camera but saying nothing.
The film, on the other hand, has much to say. The unseen footage is revelatory, as it gives a first-person impression of a group of musicians for whom much fact and fiction has been said. By keeping the embellishment to a minimum, while not detracting from the mythical allure that has become the Doors, DiCillo has created a documentary that is worth checking out whether you're a Doors fan or simply interested in getting a glimpse of the one of the bands that led the '60s cultural renaissance.
