Dont Look Back (1967)

Documentary covering Bob Dylan's 1965 tour of England, which includes appearances by Joan Baez and Donovan.

Director:

D.A. Pennebaker

Writer:

D.A. Pennebaker

Stars:

Bob Dylan, Albert Grossman, Bob Neuwirth

1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
Bob Dylan	...	Himself
Albert Grossman	...	Himself
Bob Neuwirth	...	Himself
Joan Baez	...	Herself
Alan Price	...	Himself
Tito Burns	...	Himself
Donovan	...	Himself
Derroll Adams	...	Himself
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Howard Alk	...	Himself
Jones Alk	...	Herself

Storyline

Portrait of the artist as a young man. In spring, 1965, Bob Dylan, 23, a pixyish troubador, spends three weeks in England. Pennebaker's camera follows him from airport to hall, from hotel room to public house, from conversation to concert. Joan Baez and Donovan, among others, are on hand. It's the period when Dylan is shifting from acoustic to electric, a transition that not all fans, including Baez, applaud. From the opening sequence of Dylan holding up words to the soundtrack's "Subterranean Homesick Blues," Dylan is playful and enigmatic.

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Plot Keywords:

hotel | tour | singer | guitar | guitarist | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Music

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Artistic License Films

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 February 1968 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Don't Look Back

Company Credits

Production Co:

Leacock-Pennebaker

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shot in 1965 during Dylan's British tour.

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Quotes

Bob Dylan: Give the anarchist a cigarette.

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Connections

Referenced in I'm Not There. (2007)

User Reviews

hypnotic...

Before it became necessary to narrate documentaries (with rare exceptions, a sign that they truly SUCK) this one was dialogue-free. It was a floating camera that followed Bob going from venue to auditorium, from speaking to reporters to meeting ...Donovan.

Right from the start you can tell Dylan is sick of being on tour, either that ir he's sick of people(note how he rolls his eyes in the very beginning when he explains to a woman why he's carrying a lightbulb) so we become accustomed to the way he answers questions; sometimes rude but always originally, many times hilariously. He was afterall, still a very young guy in a foreign country. It didn't matter how he spoke with people, though, because he communicated enough-as we can see in Don't Look Back through his music.

When you watch him play, it's amazing to see the stillness in the audience, the entranced eyes, fixed in concentration, minds in fear that they may miss a word of one of Dylan's songs. I love how, right at the beginning when he gets asked "When did you know you wanted to become a performer?" and he seems to think for a minute...and it cuts to: Dylan about 6-8 years prior..playing in a field surrounded by a bunch of African Americans...seemingly singing about (an)African-American...and when the camera pans close to his face, you can see tears rolling down his cheeks! It made me cry...........

The good thing about it is you see a little bit of everything...Dylan on stage in his element, Dylan f*ked up;), w/his pals, p***ed off, and Englanders...

We also get to see a very young Joan Baez( whose voice I had never even heard before watching this)- an innocent, beautiful woman who despite this had morals and a voice that would also be heard....like Dylan she was way ahead of her time.

In short, I cannot say enough about this documentary-it gets better everytime I see it, and I don't say that about a lot. I still cannot hear enough of his music or his lyrics...

Long live Dylan and Baez... -Heidi