Wild Man Blues
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| Wild Man Blues | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Barbara Kopple |
| Produced by | Jean Doumanian |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Tom Hurwitz |
| Edited by | Lawrence Silk |
Production companies | Sweetland Films Magnolia Productions |
| Distributed by | Fine Line Features |
Release date |
|
Running time | 105 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Languages | French, English, Italian |
Wild Man Blues is a 1997 American documentary film directed by Barbara Kopple, about the musical avocation of actor/director/comic Woody Allen. The film takes its name from a jazz composition by Jelly Roll Morton (with Louis Armstrong often credited as co-composer due to his influential arrangement),[1] recorded by Morton, Armstrong, and many others. Wild Man Blues is rated PG (Parental guidance suggested) because the film includes several profanities.
The film depicts Allen's love of early 20th-century New Orleans music by preserving performances on the 1996 tour in Europe by his New Orleans Jazz Band. Allen has played clarinet with this band for more than 25 years.[2][3][4]
The film ends with a family lunch that is attended by Allen, his wife, sister, and parents. Allen asks that his parents offer reflections about him as an aspiring musician during his youth. Instead, his mother offers significant criticism. She criticises his choice of career, his character, and his decision to marry an Asian woman. In response, Woody criticises his mother for repeatedly beating him as a child, and sending him to Hebrew school (which Allen refers to as "time wasting junk"). The lunch ends abruptly after Allen describes the event as "the lunch from hell".
Musicians
- Dan Barrett, on trombone
- Simon Wettenhall, on trumpet
- John Gill, on drums and vocals
- Greg Cohen, on bass
- Cynthia Sayer, on piano
- Eddy Davis, band director, and on banjo
- Woody Allen, on clarinet
Although their European tour is the primary focus, the film was also notable as the first major public showcase for Allen's relationship with Soon-Yi Previn.[5]
Formats published
The film was originally released on VHS. In April 2012 the film was featured as a bonus DVD on an Australian box set of Allen's films, and similarly appeared as an extra in a UK Region 2 box set in July 2014. Although the film is not available as a standalone DVD in any of the main English-speaking countries, it has been released singly in various Region 2 pressings around Europe, with relevant (optional) subtitles.
- The film soundtrack was released on RCA Compact Disc and later digitally
