If you fancy a night in watching a DVD, then take a look at the selection available at Island Libraries. At just £1.50 per night, they’re a great bargain. Ed
Ah, Ventnor Library holds massive assurance to any viewer who is inclined to seek a cinematic DVD experience that will educate and pour forth immense knowledge to invigorate the learning process.
One such video on DVD format that hails from America is ‘Taking Woodstock’, a film that attempts to understand and unfold a factual account of the basic practicalities that quickly led to the organisation and immediate formulation of the Woodstock Music Festival.
Combines drama and cinematic effects
‘Taking Woodstock’ manages to combine both dramatic and tender family sub-plots as well as split-screen cinematic effects, as the narration follows the passion of its lead character, who naively leads the start of a movement that was not only historic, but larger than life.
Rather than attempt to re-create performances by musicians who made the Woodstock Festival so historic and truly incredible, but would probably cause a parody of the event to be caused, the story and point of view of characters and dialogue focuses on realistic scenes and dialogue that at times is so sparse, that the event itself is alarmingly accurate to attending a festival.
Fresh and spontaneous
Director Ang Lee is a director who manages with films in the past such as ‘The Joy Luck Club’ to combine a dramatic plot with relaxed dialogue and scenes that have a freshness and are at times seemingly spontaneous.
‘Taking Woodstock’ pretty much works in an interesting, fascinating and captivating way and shows impressively that music festivals on such a gigantic scale succeed purely by combinations of both the organisation, performers and the audience, but without being arrogant about it.
As a film that at times is surprising with its subtleness but also manages to reveal some truly natural and realistic humour without stepping into cliche, ‘Taking Woodstock’ is both impressive and very optimistic – the effects of the time were life-changing and love is always stronger than death.
