Here’s a truly unique documentary that actually tells more about our culture than it intended. What you’ve got here is a collection of fans of Bruce Springsteen telling us what they like about him, and in usually three words, describing what he means to them. These snippets are interspersed between some concert footage of various stages of Springsteen’s career, going all the way back to the beginning with him doing a very Dylan-esque “Growing Up.”
What’s most fascinating about the whole movie (which includes bonus footage with Paul McCartney and other material from the Hard Rock Calling 2012 concert) is that is shows Springsteen almost as a demi-god to hundreds and thousands of fans. In Eastern Europe, he’s appreciated for singing about freedom in oppressive countries, while in the US he’s touted for being vulnerable and honest in his art. The disquieting thing is that Springsteen himself seems to turn the concerts into a replacement for a church revival, with gospel-sounding themes, both musically and lyrically. Where is the salvation found? This working class Catholic-bred singer songwriter doesn’t say, but it just goes to show that in everyone’s heart there is a God-created void, and something has to be in there to worship. For many, it’s the ideal of Springsteen and his vision. But, didn’t we do away with idolatry a couple thousand years ago?
Eagle Vision dvd