A long time ago, I rented "The US vs. John Lennon" and only sort-of watched it. I fell asleep about 40 minutes in, and woke up to the gunshots that killed John. I missed a lot, to say the least. Tonight, it was on VH1 commercial free, and as luck would have it, I discovered it about 40 minutes in. I watched the rest tonight, and making it twice today, cried at the end. (I also cried when Sirius died in the HP V movie. Too sad, even though I knew it was coming.) The tragedy of John Lennon's death almost never fails to evoke something in me, even though as I've said before, I can get touchy about the martyrdom of John Lennon vs. the hate of the schlocky Macca cult. But make no mistake about it, however you feel about the complicated end of the Beatles, John's death left us immeasurably poorer. It was, perhaps, the most shocking musician death ever, and it's made worse by the life and philosophies of the man who died.
But what mostly struck me about this film, this time, was the sad, sad parallel to now. Gore Vidal touched on it in the film, saying something to the effect of John standing for life with what he did, and Nixon and George Bush, our current president, being death. And death being bad. Gore Vidal said that, if no one else did. But what other people were saying about Nixon and that immoral Vietnam War are things that can 100% be said about this immoral war we're in now. The things that these people said about Nixon can be said about Bush. Nixon's administration was criminal, and their twisting of the Constitution was shameful. I believe 100%, with no doubt, that the same things can be said about Bush and his administration.
The film was, of course, telling a story, and it was the story of how the US government (Nixon, J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI, the INS) conspired illegally to deport John Lennon, because he was saying things against the war and government. Tariq Ali, in the film, says it's absolutely laughable that someone like John Lennon could be a threat to the US government. He's incredulous that Nixon perceived such a threat in Lennon that he illegally tried to remove him from the country. And it was insane. It was. It's a fascinating story, politically and culturally. It's also very sad to watch, simply because of the parallels. And because of the ending, which we all know.
The other thing that I couldn't not think during this viewing was how the world would be different if John Lennon had lived. I honestly cannot imagine a world in which John Lennon was still alive. I can't even begin to think of it. I don't know what he would have done. It's so heart-breaking to think, I don't think I ever really have. It's hard, it's very hard to exert your mind that way, because it brings you right back around to the place you are now, a world that he left too soon. But I think, and I don't think I'm even a little wrong, I think that John would have been doing the Vote for Change tour with other musicians. I think he would have been a naturalized citizen of this country, and I think he would be doing the same thing now that he was then. Trying so hard to get us to give peace a chance.
Watch the film. Just don't be surprised when you end up heartbroken at the end.
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