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by Jennifer Alpeche Published: March 30, 2003
“Welcome to Manchester.” In Michael Winterbottom’s rockumentary-type ”24 Hour Party People”, he tells the story of a man who foresaw the rise of punk as a musical movement that would change all the rules; a man who did what he could to help the genre along, as well as partake in its rise and fall. That man, Tony Wilson (Steve Coogan), was there at the somewhat center, from its true introduction in 1976 to its ruin in the 1990’s. Sex, drugs, and punk all mesh together in this one film about a man who wanted more; a new genre that changed, influenced, and rocked the music industry; and an English town called Manchester that was during this time, the center of raves, newness, and experimentation. With the recent introduction of The Clash into the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame (3.10.03), “24 Hour Party People” and its subject is as relevant as ever. Though the punk movement ultimately crashed under the weight of drugs, bankruptcy, and the refusal to “sell out,” its anti-establishment message echoes on. Its influence continues to be heard and its evolution into spin-off sub-genres is to its lasting credit. Wilson is the film’s narrator. An arrogant TV journalist who longs for more, he addresses the audience directly, looking into the camera and talking as if reporting, while the people around him go about their business. In one of the earliest examples of this, Wilson, his wife, future partners, and future members of British punk bands are gathered in a room to listen to the Sex Pistols give their very first “concert” in Manchester. The moment is a seminal one, as Wilson turns to the camera and explains that in that room, there are the producers, singers, and musicians of some of punk's newest bands. Joy Division. New Order. A Certain Ratio. This he tells us while the Sex Pistols (in footage that is both actual newsreel and recreated content) continue to play on stage; the audience swept away in their lyrics, music, and vibe. “But I agree with John Ford: when you have to choose between the truth and the legend, print the legend.” And so is the attitude found in “24 Hour Party People.” This is not an absolutely true account of the time, but an overview of it. We get the death of Ian Curtis, lead singer of Joy Division, and the rise of the band’s surviving members in the form of New Order. We get Happy Mondays, the other major band under Wilson’s Factory Records, which had the potential to be brilliant and successful, if only its lead singer and songwriter, Shaun Ryder, could kick his habit and focus. And we also get the opening of Fac 51, also known as The Hacienda, which for a time, became THE place to party for the entire planet -- set in Wilson’s beloved Manchester. This film lets us experience the punk movement from the inside. It’s like our backstage pass, inviting us to come and see the birth and death of Wilson's company, Factory Records, as it threw its heart into what is punk, only to realize that in the end, money was still needed for survival. To sell out would be too costly to what they held dear, would go against all that the movement stood for. “I am a bit player in the story of my life.” “Although this scene didn’t actually make it to the final cut. I’m sure it’ll be on the DVD.” On the DVD, there are two commentary tracks: one with the real Tony Wilson and one with Steve Coogan and producer Andrew Eaton. Both of the tracks are informative, but the comments are selective. None of the participants feel it necessary to comment on every scene, moment, and frame of the film. At times, they find themselves watching the screen, absorbed by it. The commentary is a bit dry. There isn’t a lot of humor to be found in either of them, especially the Wilson one, which doesn’t benefit from having another person there to bounce off of. It is interesting to hear his take on Coogan’s portrayal and on the truthfulness behind certain scenes. He points out when things have been changed, from Coogan’s wardrobe to Wilson’s real first meeting with Ian Curtis to a business meeting involving a contract signed in blood and a promise to put the artist first. The hang-gliding segment for Wilson’s TV show, “So It Goes,” that opens the film is actual footage of Wilson when he performed the same stunt back in the day; another real/recreated footage-edit. In their commentary, Coogan and Eaton hold a kind of conversation, talking to themselves as much as to us. Together, they comment on the editing, the production design, the screenplay, Wilson, the actors. At one point, Coogan comments on how real the film felt when he was shooting it. Comments range from the inappropriateness of an Oasis-like coat to the purpose of a scene that many had thought should be cut. Why?, they wonder, and then discuss it. Also included on the DVD is an 11-minute featurette on the film’s star city, Manchester. To go back to Wilson’s commentary, at the end of the film when Winterbottom shoots an aerial view of Manchester at nighttime, shining brightly with a brilliant display of red, white, and yellow lights, Wilson comments on how he had always believed that Manchester could be that spectacular. Looking at that shot, he knows he was right. Returning to the featurette, it’s about Manchester, but also about how the film was brought together. We hear from Winterbottom, Eaton, screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce, Wilson, Coogan, and others. Wilson goes onto explain how when he was first approached with the idea, he said “no,” but was intrigued when the filmmakers explained that they wanted the movie to be about Manchester 1976 to 1992. When he heard this, he thought they might be onto something, as they got the dates right. ”About Tony Wilson” is a five-minute featurette about: Tony Wilson. We find out why he was selected as the central character, why they chose to filter events through Wilson’s perspective. Though he was not instrumental to the movement, he was always somewhat at the center of it -- for the entire movement. We also get 11 deleted scenes with no commentary. The scenes are short and some are just raw footage, such as “Chasing City Fans,” which features a lot of hand-held camerawork. It’s dizzying, causing a bit of imbalance in the brain with the way it moves every which way to film the chase. Other scenes include a Happy Mondays fight (that seems repetitive) and a longer Wheel of Fortune scene (which also doesn’t seem necessary, given what we already see in the film). Then there’s the domestic trailer and over 120 still photos to click through in the photo gallery. I think again about The Clash’s introduction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and how they represent the dawn of punk, and why it was important for the Hall of Fame to have a representative of the movement. Sex Pistols were nominated for the 2002 class and will certainly be on the ballot in the coming years, waiting for the time when they’re inducted as well. “24 Hour Party People” sees Tony Wilson at the center of this movement and through him, allows us to see what punk was all about. Its highs and its lows. It’s a party, a disturbing one at times, but one that people clearly couldn’t help but get pulled into, hypnotized by its pulsing beats, pounding message, and unwavering snarkiness. “The artists own all their own work. The label owns nothing. Our bands have the freedom to (expletive) off.” Overall rating: B for the film, B+ for the DVD. |
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