‘One to One: John & Yoko’ Review: A Revelatory Inside Look at John Lennon, in Concert and in the World

As a child of the ’60s and ’70s, I find “One to One” to be a captivating, poignant journey through a transformative era, with John Lennon serving as our time-traveling guide. The film masterfully portrays Lennon’s complex character – the radical revolutionary who found solace in his couch potato days, the powerful rockstar who prioritized his avant-garde wife’s wishes above his own desires, and the quintessential Brit who became an iconic New Yorker.

I’ve watched documentaries that uncover intriguing aspects of John Lennon, such as “The U.S. vs. John Lennon” (2006), which focused on his political activism and the Nixon administration’s efforts to expel him, or “The Lost Weekend: A Love Story” (2022), a depiction of Lennon’s relationship with May Pang. However, it’s “One to One: John & Yoko,” with its rather unassuming title, that stands out as the most comprehensive and captivating among these focused portrayals of Lennon. While “The Lost Weekend” shed light on a less-discussed side of Lennon (including his propensity for violence, an aspect rarely discussed outside of Albert Goldman’s controversial biography “The Lives of John Lennon”), “One to One” covers the period preceding the Lost Weekend, beginning in August 1971 when John and Yoko left their country estate near London for New York City, where they lived in a small apartment in the West Village for 18 months before moving into the Dakota.

Stepping out onto the bustling streets of America, I found myself immersed in the vibrant energy that surrounded me, much like the legendary John Lennon did during his post-Beatles years. This film, “One to One,” takes us on a captivating journey through Lennon’s life following the breakup of the Fab Four, and it feels oddly reminiscent of a time gone by.

As a film enthusiast, I found it intriguing to discover that the movie delves into something John Lennon openly discussed, yet for many of us, it seemed to slip through our consciousness – his newfound obsession with television, following his move to New York and immersion in American culture. It struck me as amusing at first, considering Lennon’s counterculture reputation in the early ’70s and his active role in numerous protest movements. However, his admission that watching television was his preferred pastime hinted at something more profound – a glimpse into the future direction of our culture as a whole, beyond his iconic activism.

John Lennon was often idealistic when it came to politics, famously singing “Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too…” However, he was also deeply cynical, embodying an anti-romantic perspective on reality that can be heard in songs like “Revolution.” This is a common trait among certain intelligent individuals who are drawn to television, and it was certainly true back then. They would flip through everything – commercials, low-quality shows, news presented in a way similar to a commercial – absorbing it all like a sponge while also critiquing it subtly, feeling superior yet participating in the Western culture of viewing everything as a spectacle or performance.

Instead of describing John and Yoko as couch potatoes, they are referred to as “bed potatoes” since they spent a lot of time there. McDonald and his team have created a remarkably accurate replica of the couple’s white-walled duplex apartment located at 105 Bank St. Although the apartment appears empty in the documentary, we can see where everything is placed – the bed, the TV positioned near it, scattered items such as guitars, clothes, an amplifier, a typewriter, newspapers and magazines, a Snoopy pillowcase. The documentary “One on One” includes home movies and candid photographs, and with this replica of their apartment visible, we can almost imagine John and Yoko residing within it.

Macdonald describes this period in another manner. The album “One to One” is named after a pair of charity concerts given by Lennon at Madison Square Garden on August 30, 1972, with the Plastic Ono Elephant’s Memory Band. This was his final full-length concert performance, and listening to it now, one can’t help but be amazed by the punch the music packs. The band performed exceptionally well – they were incredibly sharp and lively as Lennon guided them through songs ranging from the opening number “New York City” to “Instant Karma,” all the way to “Come Together.” The climax of Lennon’s heart-wrenching, raw-voiced performance of “Mother” is particularly moving.

As a cinema enthusiast, I’d rephrase it as follows:

The film portrays John Lennon’s involvement with Jerry Rubin, a figure who gained fame during the Chicago 7 trial and seemed to relish it excessively. If Abby Hoffman was the yippie known for his energetic pranks, Rubin was the yippie as a salesman of revolution, never failing to feel superior towards his audience. However, he managed to persuade Lennon to work together, an alliance that started when Lennon performed at the Free John Sinclair rally in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The movie features uncommon footage from this legendary concert, and it’s questionable whether Lennon, singing “John Sinclair” (“It ain’t fair, John Sinclair/In the stir for breathin’ air”), appeared convincing during that performance. Nevertheless, the event led to the release of John Sinclair from his 10-year prison sentence for marijuana possession. As they grew closer, Rubin convinced Lennon to join forces for the Free the People tour, a traveling show combining rock ‘n’ roll and protest politics. Unfortunately, this endeavor eventually disintegrated.

As I immerse myself in the captivating collection of phone conversations titled “One to One,” I find myself eavesdropping on John and Yoko’s private discussions, some of which are transcribed against a stark black backdrop. By this point, it’s no secret that John’s phone was being monitored by the FBI, and these tapes (though not explicitly confirmed by the filmmakers) seem to be part of the covertly gathered records.

We can also hear what a keen observer Yoko was, and how she felt shut out by the Beatles (“They ignored me”). Part of the film’s emotional backdrop is how ahead of his time John was in placing Yoko’s wishes before his. The reason they came to New York in the first place was to search for Kyoko, Yoko’s estranged daughter from her second marriage, who they never did find (she was being raised, under a different identity, in a Christian cult). They moved into a modest bohemian flat because that was Yoko’s wish. (She was from a monied background and didn’t find their country mansion as novel as the working-class John did.)

The documentary ‘One to One’ focuses on John Lennon’s unique friendship with Elton John, although it takes some liberties with the timeline as these relationships occurred later, in 1973 and 1974 – the years when their popular duet single, “Whatever Gets You Through the Night,” was released. However, this minor inaccuracy doesn’t detract from the fact that John Lennon was anything but straightforward or predictable. In the early ’70s, he embodied a true contradiction: a revolutionary who spent his time lounging on the couch watching TV; a renowned rock star who prioritized pleasing and honoring his avant-garde partner, while maintaining his sharp rebel spirit; a quintessential Brit who transformed into a quintessential New Yorker. These complexities are beautifully captured in ‘One to One,’ making it a must-watch among rock documentaries.

2024-10-01 06:47

‘One to One: John & Yoko’ Review: A Revelatory Inside Look at John Lennon, in Concert and in the World

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