documentary”Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, Journey, SongIlluminates the unpredictable path that singer-songwriters and his music follow. Directors Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine (“”Ballets Russes”), Tracing Cohen’s career from the early days of Montreal to the 21st century Renaissance, his creative process, spiritual quest, and perhaps the most famous song“ Hallelujah ”is a unique life. Find out if you have walked.
In the wise charm of musicians, AO Scott wrote in a critic’s pick review:
We talked with Geller and Goldfine about Cohen’s life, lyrical artistry, and insights into his timeless mysteries.
What did you learn about Leonard Cohen, who was most surprised?
Dangerer He was clearly struggling to find a sense of his place in his life, his universe and his love life, and his spiritual life.He was Ask Very deep for decades, and when it disappeared, as he said, “the search itself broke up,” and lightness went into his presence. He couldn’t even explain why. And he didn’t want to look too much because he was afraid that he would disappear again when he looked it up.
Dana Gold Fine I think he was the only reason he returned to the road in the mid 70’s after a 14 or 15 year hiatus All his money was stripped off, And it was an economic coercion. But just as important, she felt like she had never reached the same level as a performer, as she thought Leonard might have reached as a singer-songwriter. You really saw him reach this pinnacle that made Leonard Cohen’s concert so deep and so spiritual.
He speaks in lyrics essentially, so he’s great in an archive interview. What is the wonderful phrase “old age hills” that he casually dropped?
Gold fine Yes! “70 is definitely not a young man. It’s not an extreme old age, but it’s a hilly area of old age.” Isn’t it gorgeous? Leonard’s wit was very satisfying and amazing. Especially in the first decades of his career, he was portrayed as this dark monster. But if you really are with him and listen to what he says, he’s one of the weirdest people ever. It’s a very drool and dry wit.
As much as possible, even the most devout Leonard Cohen’s head should be able to find new things in our films, or come up with fresh ones when using archived material used in the past. Did. Try reframe it.Rabbi [Mordecai] Finley, for example, reconstructs some material in a very interesting way that gives a fresh perspective.
What was the greatest revelation about the writing process of “Halelujah” and Cohen?
Gold fine During the five years it took Leonard to write the song, I was unaware of the sheer number of poems Leonard was writing, rewriting, erasing, and reconstructing. .. And the number of times he reconstructed the song as he performed it. I love the movie where he takes it out of the song version of David’s Old Testament and puts it into the worldly realm.
Geller There are also ways others have responded to the song — listening to John Cale, Brandi Carlile Also Eric church, To hear why they resonated with the song. It gave me a window to the soul of these other singer-songwriters.
His notebook is attractive because it has a line of very powerful versions with different resonances. “When David played, his fingers shed blood and he cried for every word he said.” — It’s also an incredible line! He stopped halfway and probably had an equally powerful song.
Gold fine You also see the first incarnation of “national anthem,” One of his most famous songs, when he first wrote the line: “Everything has cracks.” When I saw it, it almost wept — the first of “National Anthem”. Toddler steps.Also, those notebooks have his notebook, even when he first met. Dominique IssermanThe woman he considered the first great love of his life.
I couldn’t interview Cohen, but did you hear anything from him while making the film?
Geller Dominique [interview] It was fun because she was with Leonard when we were trying to shoot her. She said he asked her. Kitchen chair Was he tied up when he wrote the song? Don’t let them go that way. This is the only direct or near-direct feedback we’ve ever received from Leonard. Of course, we never ask for it! But what he really said was not to embody the song and its lyrics. Expose it to interpretation and mystery. Do not make it unique to Leonard himself.
What is your favorite version of “Halelujah”?
Gold fine I just couldn’t get enough when I was involved in the formation of John Cale’s section John Cale Edition.. And Jeff Buckley was the first “Hallelujah” I’ve ever heard, and it surprised me. But in the end, Leonard Cohen sang it at his concerts of the last five years and knelt down to start the song every night.
Geller Buckley’s unforgettable guitar arpeggio Very beautiful and exquisite. I love them and his gorgeous voice. But Leonard plays it live — I saw him play twice at the Paramount Theater in Oakland. It’s a song full of the complexity of longing, breaking, hope, love and sex, just seeing someone really at the center of his song!
