Soundtrack For A Revolution (2009)

87% of critics liked it
(15 reviews)
81% of users liked it
(130 ratings)

Soundtrack for a Revolution takes a look at the American civil rights movement, focusing on the role that music -- spirituals and protest songs -- played, as the backdrop and the inspiration for the pickets, sit-ins, and demonstrations of the turbulent era. Directors Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman,… More Soundtrack for a Revolution takes a look at the American civil rights movement, focusing on the role that music -- spirituals and protest songs -- played, as the backdrop and the inspiration for the pickets, sit-ins, and demonstrations of the turbulent era. Directors Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman, whose previous documentary looked at the Japanese Army's atrocities against the Chinese people in Nanking, here blend images from the time and interviews with participants with new footage of contemporary artists performing the inspirational songs. Interviewees include Harry Belafonte, John Lewis, Andrew Young, and Julian Bond, and the documentary includes performances by John Legend, Joss Stone, and Angie Stone. The film examines such pivotal moments as the Montgomery bus boycott, the March on Washington, and the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. Through old footage and interviews, spirituals like "Wade in the Water" and "We Shall Not Be Moved," and folk songs like Phil Ochs' "Here's to the State of Mississippi" are each connected to specific aspects or moments of the movement. Danny Glover was the executive producer of the film. Soundtrack for a Revolution had its world premiere at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 21 min.
Directed By: Bill Guttentag, Dan Sturman
Written By: Bill Guttentag, Dan Sturman
Genres: Musical & Performing Arts, Documentary

In Theaters: Aug 7, 2009 Wide
On DVD: Sep 28, 2010
Studio: Docurama

Critic Reviews

Mark Feeney, Boston Globe
The contemporary music sequences are a distraction from the heart of the movie: truly astounding archival footage of speeches, marches, and demonstrations.
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
Through vivid archival material and voice-overs, the filmmakers create moving vignettes that, taken together, form a fascinating primer on nonviolence as a political force and discipline.
Jennie Punter, Globe and Mail
An elegantly crafted new documentary.
Kyle Smith, New York Post
Tthe film is primarily interested in the music that accompanied this turmoil, which is a bit like covering the American Revolution with the focus on the wigs Washington and Jefferson wore.
Mike Hale, New York Times
Essentially a condensed, lightly airbrushed, skillfully assembled history of the civil rights movement, with musical interludes.
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
A documentary that uneasily combines a history of the civil rights movement with renditions by contemporary pop stars of the songs that rallied it.
James Verniere, Boston Herald
Whether you lived through the civil rights movement or not, the Danny Glover-produced, marvelously musical "Soundtrack for a Revolution" will leave you deeply moved and humming.
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix
The songs are rousing, but it takes more than a soundtrack to make a revolution.
Tom Keogh, Seattle Times
Soundtrack may very well be the finest, broad history on film of the Southern Freedom Movement years as measured from the Montgomery bus boycott (beginning in 1955) to the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1968).
Mike Scott, Times-Picayune
Puts a fresh spin on an important chapter in American history.
Liz Braun, Jam! Movies
On a practical level, the music is a helpful entry point into some of the most shameful chapters in American history.
Edward Douglas, ComingSoon.net
An incredibly moving experience to watch the struggles everyone went through, all framed by the protest songs of the time and what they represented to those in the trenches.
Donald J. Levit, ReelTalk Movie Reviews
It's the clips of early television broadcast reportage -- along with the emotional memories of those who participated, that still move one to tears, awe and pride.
David Fear, Time Out New York
For anyone who is either ignorant of or has simply forgotten the extent to which broken bones and unbowed heads paved the way for the Obama Age, it's a much-needed history lesson.