The Other Side of the Mirror - Bob Dylan Newport 1963-1965 (NR)

synopsis

This documentary unearths a treasure trove of material that filmmaker Murray Lerner captured of Bob Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival over three turbulent years in the 1960s. While Lerner's original Newport documentary-the 1967 release "Festiva"l-surveyed several musicians and included only a fraction of the footage we have here, his new film "The Other Side of the Mirror" is generous with the number of performances and their duration, including many of Dylan's best known songs. In both formal nighttime concerts and informal daytime "workshops," we witness the fascinating transformations in Dylan's persona and style over three critical years, from fresh-faced folksinger to nascent rocker. Including that electric moment in 1965 when he fronted the Butterfield Blues Band with "Maggie's Farm," the film also features several powerful duets with Joan Baez as well as performances with Peter, Paul and Mary, Pete Seeger and others. Lerner imposes no voiceover on the film, letting the music speak for itself and juxtaposing footage of the audiences to mark the changing times.