Directed By: Alek Keshishian
Editor: Barry Alexander Brown
Cast: Madonna
From the rain of Japan, through threats of arrest for 'public indecency' in Canada, and a birthday tribute to her father in Detroit, this documentary follows Madonna on her 1990 'Blond Ambition' concert tour. Filmed in black and white, with the concert pieces in glittering MTV color, it is an intimate look at the work of the music performer, from a prayer circle with the dancers before each performance to bed games with the dance troupe afterwards.
Documents Madonna's first major tour of the 1990s beginning 13 April 1990 in Mukuhari, Japan and ending 5 August in Nice, France. The tour hit 27 cities and sold out every show except in Italy where one show was canceled due apparently to objections over its content.
David Fincher was originally going to direct, but cancelled at the last minute.
The whole purpose usually if a documentary is to get to know the person it’s about. While you get to see the day to day life of Madonna. It’s more you get her day today life on tour. While getting snippets of her thoughts and her past. You get a bit of insight into what defines her as you get to meet her family. This is a bit more in depth then what would today be viewed as an extra feature on a CD.
It reminds you that at the time of release. How powerful and mythical celebrities were. This was at the height of Madonna’s popularity. This was one of the first times we got to see behind the curtain and got to see what she was like would she live up to our expectations. What’s her creative process like? While we get some of that. She still is as a distance as to who she is. That is why this might be the best On-Screen performance, She has ever given. As it is about her she still is at a distance as she never let’s herself go nor gives up total control to the documentary. The documentary gives just enough of an intimate portrait to either identify with her or at least find interest in her.
I can complain about some of the lack of depth, but it might not be the filmmakers fault as they can only work with what she gives and also there might be any at that point. That I imagine is what will be the most disappointing aspect to some that you don’t learn enough about Madonna. Where as this more follows the whole tour.
In today’s climate it’s easy to lookup and find any information on any celebrity you want. Back then it was a little harder and you had to purposely put in work to get it. So we more or less got celebrities at face value. So this film was a chance to get to know one of the great icons of the time. It delivers some of what you want even nudity. At least a quick flash of it, but for a boy my age at the time viewing it. Who was a fan and driven growing up and through puberty with lust for Madonna in particular who seemed to put her sultry and erotic side on display while she played lustful and had a bombshell image. It was finally payoff in a long build up and the beginning of the onslaught of nudity, she would display soon after in various projects. She used sex and sexuality as her playthings. In her image and in her music Erotica was her background. She follows the David Bowie model of reinvention and distraction with a little shock value thrown in the mix.
In the "Express Yourself" concert sequence, Madonna says "All right, America! Do you believe in love?" This audio is overdubbed onto footage shot in Paris, where she does not wear the ponytail as in the Japan and USA stops. Madonna's live vocals for "Express Yourself" were also replaced with the album version and the song was edited down from the longer performance featured in the actual Blond Ambition tour.
At the time of filming she was dating Warren Beatty who actively avoids the camera rather uncomfortably other then that there is very little gossip involved.
The film also takes the time to allow us to follow the lives of some of her more charismatic dancers who actually have more interesting stories to tell as they open up totally to the camera. Especially when compared to Madonna, who comes off as a brat with unlimited power who tries to come off as cool and unflappable asserting total control. While trying to seem mothering.
The documentary is iconic also as many after it focusing on more glamorous celebrity and it’s culture healthily borrows from it’s style format and flourish. By now of course the documentary is dated, but it is an excellent snapshot of the time and culture, Also the time in Madonna’s life.
Three of the dancers featured in the film, Oliver Crumes Jr., Kevin Alexander Stea and Gabriel Trupin later filed a lawsuit against Madonna for invasion of privacy, fraud and deceit and intentional misrepresentation.
Though really your interest will depend on how much you have to learn or at least follow her.
I recommend it.
GRADE: B
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