Not a Photograph: The Mission of Burma Story (2006) User Reviews

Good for Burma fans, not great if you don't know who they are

[christopher_bailey · 7/10 · 17 August 2006]

The story in this film is largely about Burma in their first incarnation and also what they're doing now, but I thought too little attention was given to the cause of the breakup (Roger's health and hearing) and what the members did in between. (Don't get me wrong, it's discussed, but there is a leap in the middle of the film that made me ask "What the ...".)

The concert footage, past and present, was great, and the interviews were a real boon.

If you want to get to know Burma, this is not the film for you.

If you already worship them as I do, you'll enjoy yourself.

(On a quick technical note, I really appreciated the sound, the editing, and the effort that went into making this possible ... I will buy the DVD when it comes out.)

Solid documentary

[McGonigle · 22 November 2006]

A previous poster wrote that this would not be a good movie for someone who didn't know the band already. I'm not sure that's the case. Although I am a long-time Burma fan (and thus, can't really judge how this film would impact on a newcomer), I thought the film did a good job of presenting the band's history, music and influences. Short of traveling the world to interview all the musicians who have been influenced by Mission of Burma, I think the filmmakers did as good a job of presenting them for neophytes as could be expected.

The film does a good job of walking you through the history of Mission of Burma, starting with Roger Miller moving from Ann Arbor to Boston to join the group Moving Parts (with Erik Lindgren, later of Birdsongs of the Mesozoic). It even includes archival footage of Moving Parts performing (with more in the DVD bonus features), some early Burma rehearsal footage, and some early live performances. Of course, as a fan, I would have been perfectly happy to see every song complete, but I think the film struck a good balance between interviews and letting the music speak for itself.

There are lots of interviews with the bandmembers (except for their erstwhile tape-looper, Martin Swope), and their friends and families, and lots of good performance footage from before and after their 1983-2002 hiatus (and plenty more on the DVD). While it's hard for me to imagine how this would come across to a newcomer, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this movie (along with an album or two) to anyone who was wondering "what all the fuss is about".

My only reservations about the movie concern some odd technical choices that were made. The music is not mixed very loud in relation to the interviews, which makes it very frustrating for those of us who want to CRANK IT UP. Most oddly, the director chose to conduct a lot of the interviews in extreme closeup -- almost approaching Sergio Leone territory -- which was quite disconcerting.

But aside from those minor quibbles, this was a fun and informative documentary about one of the most massively influential rock bands of the 1980s.