Imagine (1972)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Directors:

Steve Gebhardt
John Lennon

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

A surreal, half-fiction, half real life footage of a day in the life of John lennon and Yoko Ono, composed to music from John's historic 'Imagine' album and Yoko's 'Fly'. |

Plot Keywords:

John Lennon | Independent Film

Cast

John Lennon	...	Himself
Yoko Ono
Daniel Richter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fred Astaire	...	Himself
Dick Cavett	...	Himself
George Harrison	...	Himself
Jack Palance
Andy Warhol	...	Himself

Runtime:

70 min (original version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Trivia:

Although the "Imagine" music video has shown up in many places since, the other videos in this film have rarely been seen outside of this film although the footage from them has usually been made up to be other Lennon videos in compilations such as Lennon Legend.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Gimme Some Truth: The Making of John Lennon's Imagine Album (2000) (V)

Some time in Ascot

You might be disappointed if you think you will learn a lot about the "Imagine" album recording when watching this flick.It's experimental,as most of Lennon's and Ono's shorts were (remember:"self-portrait" "erection" "fly")."Imagine" is more of the same.All the tracks of the famous album (performed as on the record) provide the soundtrack ,with a "bonus" of two Ono songs ,including her lovely" Mrs Lennon" (which was obviously influenced by her husband's style).

What about the plot?There is none.What are they talking about? They do not speak ,except for the last minutes when they utter two words ,you know what I mean (see "the Wedding album").They wander aimlessly along their desirable property,go boating on the river,John does his number two,he plays chess with his wife -the sequence is a bit scary ,and a Yoko experimental cut makes your hair stand on end-.And while the notorious "how do you sleep?" is heard ,you can see grimacing masks on the walls :what do you suppose THAT means?Cameos by George Harrison,Fred Astaire and Jack Palance.No MacCartney is not among the special guests ,not even in the ominous "how do you sleep?" sequence.

Filmed during the last year of the Lennons in England.Actually,the most important is not in the movie:the legend only matters ,this legend which turned "imagine "the song into what should be the worldwide anthem to replace all our obsolete fusty national anthems.