Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune (Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune) (2010)

It's a nice piece on a lesser known artist. What's here is your pretty standard documentary fare but the subject is so interesting that it keeps you going. The major flaw of the film is that it seems like a bit of a fluff piece at times. When the film begins to set the stage for Ochs' death it feels like the mental problems, alcoholism and daddy issues come suddenly from left field and are only... read more

A stimulating reflection on the American countercultural protest movement examined through the prism of one of its most impassioned and underappreciated voices. Captures both Ochs' glory days and his sad and rapid decline, communicating the brilliance of his songs (he wrote hundreds, and recorded 7 albums in his short career) as well as the less savory aspects of his life. Kenneth Bowser's loving ... read more

Description: As our country continues to embroil itself in foreign wars and pins its hopes on a new leader's promise for change, Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune is a timely and relevant tribute to an unlikely American hero. Over the course of a meteoric music career that spanned two turbulent decades, Phil Ochs sought the bright lights of fame and social justice in equal measure - a contradiction that eventually tore him apart. From youthful idealism to rage to pessimism, the arch of Ochs' life paralleled that of the times, and the anger, satire and righteous indignation that drove his music also drove him to dark despair. In this brilliant As our country continues to embroil itself in foreign wars and pins its hopes on a new leader's promise for change, Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune is a timely and relevant tribute to an unlikely American hero. Over the course of a meteoric music career that spanned two turbulent decades, Phil Ochs sought the bright lights of fame and social justice in equal measure - a contradiction that eventually tore him apart. From youthful idealism to rage to pessimism, the arch of Ochs' life paralleled that of the times, and the anger, satire and righteous indignation that drove his music also drove him to dark despair. In this brilliantly constructed film, interview and performance footage of Ochs is illuminated by the ruminations of Joan Baez, Tom Hayden, Pete Seeger, Sean Penn, Peter Yarrow, Christopher Hitchens, Ed Sanders, and others. ... (more) (less)