In Search of the English Folk Song

Ken Russell – 1997 – England

If you’re looking for a straightforward Ken Burns-style documentary about the history of English folk music, keep looking.  Check that filmmaker’s name again:  “Ken Russell.”  That means we’re in for a wacky trip not into musicology but Russell’s own mind.  If you like him, you’ll be charmed; if you don’t, you won’t.  As a huge Russell fan, I found his treatment of what could a dry subject both humorous and interesting.  The film begins with Russell himself waking from a reverie and proceeding to have a conversation with his dog about English music.  The questions arise: ‘what exactly is English folk music’ and ‘how do we define it?’  Russell ventures off on a poor man’s Magical Mystery Tour, driving to a local pub to begin his search, where the house band erupts into a loud rock song that isn’t quite what Russell had in mind.  Further along the road, we encounter contemporary protest singers, a songwriter preoccupied with Native American culture, and even folk-rock legend Donovan, straight from the 60s, hitchhiking with a sign that says ‘Nirvana.’  It’s all in good fun and a lot of the music is good too.  But mostly it’s Russell’s own enthusiasm, knowledge, and lack of pretension that makes the film worthwhile.