Educational Media Reviews Online

"In this country, people die at 21. They die emotionally at 21, maybe younger... My responsibility as an artist is to help people get past 21" -- John Cassavetes

Appearing at the end of the movie, this quote serves as the basis for Justin Mitchell's gritty documentary of the indie/punk music scene in primarily the California and Washington state areas. Weaving live performances from such bands as the Peechees, Tullycraft, Henry's Dress, the Hi-Fives and Sleater-Kinney with interviews of the musicians themselves, Songs for Cassavetes tells the story of young artists striving to keep their dreams alive in the face of economic adversity. One musician laments that he can't afford new shoes as his money must go for guitar strings and blank audiotape, while another recalls having to turn down a touring engagement in support of a big-name punk band because he couldn't afford the trip. Nevertheless, these artists remain upbeat because they are doing what they love while remaining true to their musical visions. This serves as the main tenet of Songs…; these musicians might be struggling financially, but they refuse to compromise their artistic integrity by "selling out" to the major music labels.

This commitment to artistic integrity is reflected in the technical quality of the film itself. Shot with a rough "home movie" feel on black and white 16 mm film, Songs… utilizes minimal lighting and transitional effects coupled with a raw audio soundtrack. In fact, the only major flaw in the film deals with the sound. Some of the live performances suffer from poor audio engineering, creating a muddled or washed out sound in places. Songs… could have also used a few more identifying titles for all of the movie's personalities, but this is minor compared to the sound problem.

Though Songs for Cassavetes deals with indie/punk rockers, it provides an important lesson to any aspiring artist. It teaches viewers that making music professionally takes commitment, determination, and perseverance if one is to maintain true to themselves and to their music. Songs… is recommended for viewers at the high school level and above.