Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Thursday 4 april 2019
How sweet the sound is in Aretha doc ‘Amazing Grace’

By JAKE COYLE colossal accompanying
Associated Press double LP, which didn’t
After many dangers, toils suffer the same fate as the
and snares, the long-lost footage, is already justly
Aretha Franklin concert film revered and remains the
“Amazing Grace” has final- best-selling gospel record
ly seen the light, and good of all time. But to see it is to
Lord is it good. believe. This is gospel ec-
Filmed over two sessions in stasy.
January 1972 at the New For a long time, “Amaz-
Temple Missionary Baptist ing Grace” was one of the
Church in the Watts section great unseen white whales
of Los Angeles, it captures of cinema. The film — shot
Franklin at the absolute with 16mm cameras by a
apex of her power. The then up-and-coming direc-

This image released by Neon shows Aretha Franklin in a scene from the film, “Amazing Grace.”
Associated Press
tor named Sydney Pollack players. It’s overwhelm- in song, fills the frame. She
— sat for decades in stu- ing. Singing from the pul- nearly glows.
dio vaults because Pollack pit, Franklin’s supreme vir- The concerts were a return
forgot to slate his footage, tuosity takes on biblical to gospel roots for Franklin
leaving the sound and pic- proportions. So glorious is after a string of hits for At-
tures unsynchronized. He she, then 29 and already lantic Records. Her father,
left the mess behind and in such staggering com- one of the most promi-
moved on to make “The mand of her instrument, nent black preachers of his
Way We Were.” that “Amazing Grace” — if day and a close friend of
After Pollack died in 2008, you weren’t dancing and Martin Luther King Jr., had
Alan Elliott took over the hollering — would be hard raised her preaching both
film, had it synced, and had to watch standing. Aretha of God and black pride.
David Arnold edit it. (Elliott will knock you flat. So when Franklin here per-
is credited for having pro- Part of the fun of “Amazing forms “Never Grow Old,”
duced and “realized” the Grace” is watching not just she’s singing one of the first
film.) But efforts to release those in the thrall of Franklin songs she ever recorded,
the documentary were sty- (Mick Jagger can be seen at age 15. Secular numbers
mied by Franklin who sued bopping in the back of (“You’ve Got a Friend”) are
the filmmakers to prevent the church) but witnessing mixed in with gospel staples
festival screenings in 2015 the awe Franklin evokes. like an exhilarating “Mary
and 2016. It finally pre- Members of the choir stand Don’t You Weep” and a
miered three months after countless times to spur her majestic, 10-minutes-long
Franklin’s death last year, on: “Sing it!” Franklin’s fa- “Amazing Grace.” Blues
with her estate’s blessing. ther, a blue-suited Rev. and gospel merge euphori-
It’s now arriving in theaters, C.L. Franklin, addresses cally. It’s easy to wonder
47 years later. the congregation (where while watching “Amazing
The great concert films Clara Ward sits in the front Grace” what Franklin ever
are often elevated by pew) to try, with halting objected to. Did she simply
concept (“Stop Making eloquence, to measure his resent that the filmmakers
Sense”) or occasion (“The daughter’s great talent. bungled its making? There
Last Waltz”). But “Amazing “Aretha is just a stone sing- remains some mystery
Grace” is lifted not by the ah,” he says. around Franklin in the film,
production, which is a little At one point, an overcome a shadow of sorrow seen
shambling; or the staging, Cleveland, sitting down in only when she isn’t singing.
which is an afterthought. exhaustion and dabbing Franklin says virtually noth-
No, “Amazing Grace” is his forehead, exasperat- ing throughout, appearing
sent heavenward almost edly tosses his handkerchief preternaturally calm in be-
entirely by Franklin’s soul- — a white flag of surrender tween songs. Is that simply
shattering voice and the — at Franklin in mid-song. It out of respect for the set-
frenzy worked up by the lands on the camera. ting? Was she somehow
Southern California Com- An inexperienced docu- not at ease during the film’s
munity Choir, Rev. James mentarian, Pollack isn’t making, at least when the
Cleveland (a legend, him- as perceptive as, say D.A. music wasn’t playing? Or
self, who presided over the Pennebaker was in “Mon- is it more like what John
performance), the limber terey Pop.” But he has Updike said about Ted Wil-
choir director Rev. Alexan- the good sense to push in liams not doffing his cap to
der Hamilton, and a small close on Franklin. “Amaz- fans after a home run? Just
(largely unseen) rhythm ing Grace” is best when her as gods do not answer let-
section of top-flight R&B face, sweaty and blissful ters, queens don’t curtsy.q