Hendrix (2000) - By the time I first heard of Jimi Hendrix he had been dead for about a month. My older brother turned me on to him by giving me the album "Are You Experienced" for my birthday in 1970. Hendrix holds a mythical place in American pop culture. Most folks still don't know how he achieved the sounds he made. A magical psychedelic god from Mars, Hendrix is best viewed today through concert footage. It is with some reserve that I recommend the Showtime original movie "hendrix" as it is hard to capture and personify him. In 1973 Gary Weis made the documentary "a film about Jimi Hendrix." It too has shortcomings. The viewer might consider making a double feature of the two movies to get some idea of what Jimi was like in private.

      The reason I recommend that one get both films is due to the near fatal flaw of "hendrix": there is not one song written by Jimi Hendrix in the film. The Hendrix estate has been the subject of endless litigation since his death 30 years ago. Apparently, the filmmakers couldn't get the rights to his songs. Instead the film has many concert and studio scenes in which we hear Jimi (Wood Harris) lip synching to someone else singing Jimi's versions of "Hey Joe," "All Along the Watchtower," and recreating his performances at Woodstock and Monterey Pop. Anyone who has seen the movie "Woodstock" knows that Jimi immediately broke in to "Purple Haze" as the last note of "The Star Spangled Banner" still reverberated through the crowd's collective ears. Here the filmmakers quickly cut to another scene, thus lessening the power of the performance. By now, you may wonder why I am even recommending this movie. While "hendrix" falls short in the music department, it does afford the viewer with some nice insights into his personal life.

Jimi and Chas Chandler (Christian Potenza)

      The film is a typical Hollywood Bio as far as format is concerned. We get a cursory look at the young Jimi as he learns to play guitar with his dad, Al (Dorian Harewood). Al raised Jimi as a single dad as his wife, Lucille left them to party hard. Cut to Jimi as an adult being discharged from the Army following a parachuting accident. Next thing you know, Jimi is playing guitar for Little Richard. Jimi upstages the star and is fired. He moves to Harlem with Faye Pridgen (Vivica Fox.) There he is seen by the wife of Keith Richards. She introduces him to Chas Chandler (Christian Potenza), the former bass player for The Animals. Chas convinces Jimi that he should come to London and become a star. Jimi says he will under one condition, that Chas fix it so he can jam with Eric Clapton. Jimi goes over Faye's objections.

      Chas gets Jimi onstage with Cream. In the audience is record producer Michael Jefferies (Billy Zane). Chas introduces Jimi to Jefferies who finances Jimi's album. Noel Redding (Kris Holdenried) and Mitch Mitchell (Christopher Ralph) are hired and the Jimi Hendrix Experience is born. The rest is history.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience debuts in London

      What is really good about this film besides the lead performance is the insights it gives into Jimi Hendrix's beliefs about music and the political unrest in the 60s. Hendrix was at odds with Jefferies almost from the beginning concerning the direction his music would follow. As Jimi experienced more himself, he wanted to expand his horizons. To a certain degree, he was successful as his recordings with Band of Gypsies hold up well today. The film barely touches the musical inroads Jimi made during the last year of his life touring and recording with Buddy Miles and Billy Cox. This is a shame because Jimi's final year was very dramatic indeed. Jimi didn't see color except in music (where he heard color!). He attacked by members of the Black Panther party as being a sell-out. Jimi said he believed in brotherhood and togetherness, not revolution. Jimi is influenced more by Dr. King. According to the movie, he played a benefit concert in Newark NJ the day after the assassination to support Dr. King's organization. These sidelines into Jimi's psyche are more interesting than such well known stories as his experience with the Plaster Casters or his marathon sex orgies. The director Leon Ichaso includes numerous montage scenes of Jimi getting it on with several women at the same time. He also includes numerous stock footage scenes of famous events from the 60s in order to set tone and place. Both of these choices seem (to me at least) to show lack of imagination on part of the screenwriters and director. There was much drama in this man's life. "hendrix" could have been a great film. Instead it is only a fair one. I guess the filmmakers choose to use a lower case 'h' in the title of the film because this is a lower case film.

      The performances are excellent throughout. The problem is, with the exception of Jimi, Chas and Michael Jefferies, none of the other characters are fleshed out. Wood Harris turns in a powerhouse performance as the somewhat shy (except when on stage) rock legend. He obviously studied films of Jimi's performances as he has Jimi pegged. It is a shame that the producers didn't use Hendrix's real music in the film. They seem to miss the point that Jimi was light-years ahead of anyone before or since. It doesn't work having a mediocre recording of someone imitating Hendrix. This mistake just serves to hammer home how powerful Hendrix's music was. On the soundtrack his music is sorely missed. Mr. Harris portrays Jimi as an introspective and sensitive artist off stage. The film does the right thing and does not flinch when it comes to dealing with the excesses which ended Jimi's life at age 27.

Jimi (Wood Harris) at Monterey Pop

      Billy Zane as Michael Jefferies is another standout performance. His English accent is impeccable (or at least seemed so to my Southern ears!), He comes across as a no-nonsense business man who drives Jimi to destruction for the sake of a profit. I read several Bios on Jimi many years ago. I don't know how true the film's depiction of the relationship between Jimi and Jefferies is, but if it was as depicted then I can see why Jimi's estate is still in litigation.

      Christian Potenza is also good as Chas Chandler, the one friend who seemed to understand and want to protect Jimi and his art.

      All in all, "hendrix" is worth seeing. It is a near miss that gives some good insights into the supreme guitarist of all time. Try watching it along side the Gary Weis movie. There are some very good performances on display. To someone who knows little about Jimi's music the film may leave them wondering what all the fuss was about. They should go buy a CD, light some incense, put on the headphones and Experience.

Rusty White