Monday, July 4, 2011

The Doors: When You're Strange

The Doors created hypnotic and lasting music that captured the spirit of the 1960s. When You're Strange documents the band's fairly quick rise to stardom, and their alienation of their fans and much of America due to the perplexing antics of their talented lead singer Jim Morrison, who not only remained enigmatic until his 1971 death at age 27 in a Paris bathtub, but up until this day. The film focuses a lot on Morrison, including his childhood and his years before the band formed. This really is a fine assembly of The Doors' music as well as a documentation of the band's history. Narrated by Johnny Depp, his casual voice works nicely calling attention to the material rather than himself. The Doors and Jim Morrison's story is a strange and complex one indeed, and it is nicely captured here in a film that paints a fine picture of a troubled man and a great band.