Once you tackle John Lennon and Brian Wilson's lives in documentary films, it is tough to find subjects as interesting or important. But director/writer/producer John Scheinfeld (The U.S. Vs. John Lennon, Beautiful Dreamer) has been working on a new project featuring John Coltrane, the legendary saxophonist who died in 1967.
"He was an artist whose work resonated with fans from all walks of life — the architect Frank Gehry, Clint Eastwood, Bono, Philip Glass, Alicia Keys, Bill Clinton — and that fascinated me. What is it about this music that touches people so deeply?" Scheinfeld said, via The Hollywood Reporter.
The director's goal was not to glorify Coltrane, but to humanize him.
"Most of the books attempt to analyze his music," Scheinfeld said. "We'll make the film different by showing the impact the music made. He's like the Beatles in that he never repeated himself; he found what worked and moved on. He had a restless creativity, and that, to me, is quite admirable."
Scheinfeld's best-known work was that Lennon documentary in 2006. Critics gave a 77 percent approval rating to the film, according to Rotten Tomatoes.
"By the time The U.S. Vs. John Lennon is done, the filmmakers have reinforced the sense that pop music once produced prophets, as well as profits," wrote Roger Moore of the Orlando Sentinel, via RT.
Some were not on board with Scheinfeld's style, though.
"What promises to be a provocative account of the late Beatle's involvement with the American underground delivers precious little in this Yoko-approved documentary," wrote Damon Wise of Empire magazine.
Coltrane obviously is not as mythical a figure as Lennon, and the new film will therefore likely be under less scrutiny. But plenty will want the story of the jazz icon to be told the right way. It is just up to Scheinfeld to figure out what that is.
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