Bob Dylan has it right from the outset of the film: Seeger can get an audience to sing. A loving portrait of the life of this legendary artist and political activist, Power of Song may be forgiven for preaching to the choir. It tells the story of Pete Seeger through first hand accounts and archival footage of the myriad festivals he orchestrated. To say that the author of "If I Had a Hammer" is respected is an understatement; in this film he is revered. Natalie Maines calls him "a living testament to the First Amendment" and Bruce Springsteen refers to him as "a citizen artist." But the film is not without missing pieces. Power of Song not only never answers the question of whether Seeger took an axe to the sound system at Newport in 1965, it never even addresses the scene (which is depicted in the Don't Look Back segment of I'm Not There). "There's a hole at the center of Pete Seeger that the movie fills with loving remembrances, testimonials, and new interview footage of the singer at his hand-built cabin in upstate New York." (Boston Globe) Don't be surprised if you find yourself singing along. More at weinsteinco.com. 35mm
2007, b&w, 1 hour 33 minutes, USA