The US versus John Lennon

John Lennon was quick to cotton on to the the idea that his fame could do more than shift records.The documentary
'The US versus John Lennon' illustrates the Singers frustration about the Beatles meltdown and shows that he was all but adrift. Without a band to provide a home for his creative energies Lennon needed something to tear into,a target. The political climate of America in 1970 was ideal. Already strongly affiliated with the peace movement through happenings and gigs featuring his side project the
Plastic Ono Band, the combination of
Yoko Ono's situationist nous and Johns fame became a media force to be reckoned with. The film centres on the attempts by
Richard Nixon's already paranoid administration to silence the outspoken Beatle.When Lennon announced a US tour to promote peace, a mad cap circus of novel press conferences and photo calls captivated a nation. This document recreates the era with some panache and excellent editing. The strong pro-Lennon (Lennonist?) stance is mawkish but this works well as a funky history lesson to all you kids out there who want to know what the original working class hero did next.