Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song (2021)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song is a documentary film which premiered in 2021.

 

It is about the life and the musical career of the Canadian artist Leonard Cohen (1934-2016), with special focus on his famous song Hallelujah.

 

Here is some basic information about this film:

 

** Creators: Daniel Geller & Dayna Goldfine

** Based on the book The Holy or the Broken by Alan Light (2012)

** Language: English

** Subtitles: English

** Run time: 112 minutes

 

Several persons are interviewed in this film

Here are the names of the participants

Listed in alphabetical order

 

** Nancy Bacal (1937-2023) – an actress

** Steve Berlowitz – a producer

** John Cale (born 1942) – a Welsh musician

 

** Brandi Carlile (born 1981) – a musician

** Eric Church (born 1977) – a musician

** Judy Collins (born 1939) – a musician

 

** Clive Davis (born 1932) – a producer

** Susan Feldman

** Mordecai Finley

 

** Glen Hansard (born 1970) – an Irish musician

** Dominique Issermann (born 1947) – a French photographer

** Vicky Jenson (born 1960) – a film director

 

** Myles Kennedy (born 1969) – a musician

** John Lissauer – a producer

** Janine Dreyer Nichols – an actress

 

** Amanda Palmer (born 1976) – a musician

** Sharon Robinson (born 1958) – a musician

 

** Larry “Ratso” Sloman (born 1950) – an author

** Regina Spektor (born 1980) – a musician

 

** Rufus Wainwright (born 1973) – a musician

** Joan Wasser (born 1970) – a musician

** Hal Willner (1956-2020) – a music producer

 

Archive footage is used between the talking heads

Archive footage is used to support and supplement the statements made by the talking heads

Archive footage allows the viewers to witness significant moments of the past and to meet the person who is the main subject of this film.

 

The poet Leonard Cohen worked on the song Hallelujah for something like seven years. It was a track on an album which was recorded in 1984:

 

Various Positions

 

But when the recording was completed, the record company declared that it was a horrible album and refused to release it in the US.

 

It was released in the UK. After a while, it was released on a very small label in the US.

 

Bob Dylan heard the song, and he liked it so much that he sometimes included it when he gave a concert.

 

The artist John Cale also liked it, and he liked it so much that he recorded a cover version of it for an album which was a tribute to Leonard Cohen:

 

I’m Your Fan:

The Songs of Leonard Cohen

(Released 1991)

 

When the song was played by Bob Dylan and when it was recorded by John Cale, it became so well-known that it took on a life of its own.

 

Nowadays, it is a famous song which has been covered by many artists and which is used on many occasions, some of them with a religious nature and others with a non-religious nature.

 

This film covers the history of this song.

 

As stated above, this film is based on a book:

 

The Holy or the Broken

By Alan Light

(2012 = hardcover)

(2022 = paperback)

 

What do reviewers say about this film?

 

Here are some results:

 

70 percent = Meta

76 percent = IMDb

88 percent = Rotten Tomatoes (the critics)

91 percent = Rotten Tomatoes (the audience)

 

The ratings are very good, as you can see. I understand the numerous positive reviews and I agree with most of them.

 

The story of this song is interesting. It deserves to be told, and in this film, it is done quite well.

 

In my opinion, the ratings on Meta and IMDb are too low, while the ratings on Rotten Tomatoes are too high. 

 

I want to find a position in the middle. I think this film deserves a rating of four stars (80 percent)

 

REFERENCES

 

# 1. Books

 

Various Positions:

A Life of Leonard Cohen

By Ira B. Nadel

(2010)

 

Leonard Cohen:

The Music and the Mystique

By Maurice Ratliff

(2012)

 

The Holy or the Broken

By Alan Light

(2012)

 

I’m Your Man:

The Life of Leonard Cohen

By Sylvie Simmons

(2012 = hardcover)

(2021 = paperback)

 

# 2. Film and video

 

Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man

A documentary film

(2005)

 

Leonard Cohen: Live in London

A concert

(2009)

 

Leonard Cohen: Live in Dublin, 2013

A concert

(2014)

 

Tower of Song: A Memorial Tribute to Leonard Cohen

This concert was held in Montreal (Quebec) in November 2017, one year after his death in November 2016

(2018)

 

Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love

A documentary film

(2019)

 

So long, Marianne

A historical drama

A miniseries with eight episodes

(2024)

 

*****

Leonard Cohen on Leonard Cohen:

Interviews and Encounters

Edited by Jeff Burger

(2014 = hardcover)

(2015 = Paperback)

 

*****

 

 

Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love (2019)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love is a documentary film which premiered in 2019.

 

It is about the Canadian artist Leonard Cohen and his Norwegian muse Marianne Ihlen.

 

Here is some basic information about this film

 

** Director: Nick Broomfield (born 1948)

** Writers: Nick Broomfield and Marc Hoeferlin

** Narrator: Nick Broomfield

** Languages: English and Norwegian

** Subtitles: English

** Run time: 97 minutes

 

Several persons are interviewed in this film

Here are the names of the participants

Listed in alphabetical order

 

** Judy Collins – American singer and songwriter

** Ron Cornelius – a musician, guitar player

** Billy Donovan – a manager

** Julie Felix (1938-2020) – American folk singer

** Helle Goldman – a friend of Marianne

** Aviva Layton – she lived with Irving Layton for many years

** John Lissauer – a producer

** John Lowe – a writer

** Jan Christian Mollestad – a friend of Marianne

** John Simon – a producer

** Rick Vick – a writer

 

Archive footage is used between the talking heads

Archive footage is used to support and supplement the statements made by the talking heads

Archive footage is used when the narrator is speaking

Archive footage allows the viewers to see and listen to the two persons who are the main topic of this film:

 

** Leonard Cohen (1934-2016)

** Marianne Ihlen (1935-2016)

 

A man from Canada and a woman from Norway are not likely to meet each other, but Leonard Cohen and Marianne Ihlen met each other in Greece, on the island of Hydra, in 1960.

 

How and why did this happen?

 

Both of them had left their home. Both of them were searching for something else. Both of them were looking for an adventure far from home.

 

Leonard was a poet and a writer. When he came to Hydra, he became an artist, a singer and a songwriter. Marianne became his muse. They became friends and lovers and they were together for several years.

 

Around 1970, they separated, but they never forgot each other. In 2016, when Marianne was in Norway and close to the end of her life, she asked a friend to contact Leonard and tell him what was happening.

 

Her friend sent a message to Leonard, who was in the US. He responded at once. He sent a message to tell her that he was not far behind her. He was also close to the end. In this way, they were able to say goodbye to each other in a peaceful way. He died three months after she died.

 

This film covers the lives of Leonard Cohen and Marianne Ihlen in great detail. The story is told by people who knew them, by people who were close to them, and by people who worked with them.

 

What do reviewers say about this film?

 

Here are some results:

 

69 percent = Meta

70 percent = IMDb

81 percent = Rotten Tomatoes (the critics)

85 percent = Rotten Tomatoes (the audience)

 

23 reviews are posted on IMDb. 21 offer a specific rating. The ratings span from 40 to 100 percent. The average rating of the 21 user reviews is 69 percent, which is close to the rating offered by the website.

 

The ratings are quite good, as you can see. When you look at Rotten Tomatoes, you can see that the audience likes this film more than the critics. But both groups are positive.

 

It is unusual see the audience offering a higher rating than the critics, when we are dealing with a documentary film. But this case is the exception to the general rule.

 

I guess this is because of the topic. Many viewers are avid fans of Leonard Cohen. This fact is probably lifting the rating to a higher level than what is normal for the audience.

 

Some reviewers say the film is too long and that it is boring. I do not agree with such statements.

 

The story of the Canadian artist Leonard Cohen and his Norwegian muse Marianne Ihlen is interesting. It deserves to be told, and in this film, it is done quite well.

 

In my opinion, the ratings Meta and IMDb are too low, while  the ratings on Rotten Tomatoes are very appropriate. I think this documentary film deserves a rating of four stars (80 percent).

 

REFERENCES

 

Leonard Cohen in Oslo

Run time = 49 minutes

A concert

(1988)

Available on the NRK website

 

Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man

Run time = 98 minutes

A documentary film

(2005)

 

A Meeting with Leonard Cohen

Run time = 29 minutes

An interview

(2006)

Available on the NRK website

 

Leonard Cohen in London

Run time = 157 minutes

A concert

(2009)

 

Leonard Cohen: Live in Dublin, 2013

A concert

(2014)

 

Tower of Song:

A Memorial Tribute to Leonard Cohen

This memorial concert was held in Montreal (Quebec) in November 2017, one year after his death in November 2016

(2018)

 

Hallelujah: 

Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song

Run time = 112 minutes

A documentary film

(2021)

 

So long, Marianne

A historical drama

A miniseries with eight episodes

(2024)

Available on the NRK website

 

*****

 

I'm Your Man:

 The Life of Leonard Cohen

By Sylvie Simmons

(2012 = hardcover)

(2021 = paperback)

*****

A Memorial Tribute to Leonard Cohen (2018)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tower of Song: A Memorial Tribute to Leonard Cohen is a documentary film which premiered in 2018.

 

It is an edited version of a memorial concert which was held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in November 2017, one year after the death of the Canadian artist Leonard Cohen in November 2016.

 

Some of his famous songs were performed on stage by different artists as a tribute to the Canadian singer and songwriter.

 

Here is some basic information about this film:

 

** The main organizer of this event: Leonard Cohen’s son Adam Cohen (born 1972)

** Director: Jack Bender

** Writer: Carrie Mudd

** The full version of this film runs for 90 minutes

** A slightly abbreviated version of the film was shown on Norwegian television (NRK) in 2024

** The short version, which runs for 75 minutes, is available on the NRK website until July 2027

 

Leonard Cohen was born in 1934. He lived to be more than 80 years old. He died in 2016.

 

During a long life and a long career in the music business, he wrote and recorded more than 250 songs. Obviously, only a small fraction of these songs could be performed at the memorial concert.

 

Here are the names of the artists who performed at this memorial concert and the titles of the songs which they performed on stage:

 

** Børns and the Webb Sisters

If It Be Your Will

 

** Adam Cohen and the Webb Sisters

So long, Marianne

 

** Elvis Costello

The Future

 

** Feist

Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye

 

** k. d. lang

Hallelujah

 

** Courtney Love

Everybody Knows

 

** Lana Del Rey and Adam Cohen

Chelsea Hotel # 2

 

** Sharon Robinson

I’m Your Man

 

** Ron Sexsmith

Suzanne

 

** Sting

Dance Me to the End of Love

 

** Patrick Watson

Who by Fire

 

What do reviewers say about this film?

 

On IMDb it has a rating of 83 percent. In my opinion, this rating is very appropriate. I think this product deserves a rating of four stars (80 percent)

 

REFERENCES

 

Leonard Cohen:

I’m Your Man

A documentary film

(2005)

 

Leonard Cohen:

Live in London

A concert

(2009)

 

Leonard Cohen:

Live in Dublin, 2013

A concert

(2014)

 

Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love

A documentary film

(2019)

 

Hallelujah: 

Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song

A documentary film

(2021)

 

So long, Marianne

A historical drama

A miniseries with eight episodes

(2024)

 

*****

 

Matters of Vital Interest:

A Forty-Year Friendship with

Leonard Cohen

By Eric Lerner

(2018)

 

*****