DVD Review: The Future Is Unwritten - Joe Strummer

Editor's note: This review can also be accessed on the DeadJournalist.com main site here.

Last night I sat down and finally watched the Joe Strummer documentary, The Future Is Unwritten - Joe Strummer . I went into it looking for education as much as entertainment. While I have known some of The Clash's music for most of my life, I really didn't know much about the band or Strummer.

Julien Temple's film follows a chronological path through Strummer's life from a youth growing up around the world through his success as the front man for the legendary punk band, The Clash, until his final days finding peace, success, influence and, of all things, the UK rave scene.

With an abundance of video footage of his life and musical career prior joining The Clash, the first half of the documentary provides a great look has Strummer's early career. The last half of the film focuses Strummer during the U.S. success of The Clash, it's subsequent demise, and the decade-long search Strummer led to re-find is voice as an artist.

A common theme through the film was the gathering of Strummer's friends around campfires. These were also the setting for most of the sound-bytes provided throughout the film. With a seemingly endless number with former band mates, friends and family providing a plentiful amount of commentary. Understanding Strummer, as a person, is easier when hearing how many people where changed by his direct influence.

Two hours after starting the DVD, I came away knowing more about Strummer than I knew going in, but I'll have to admit, it left me wanting to know more about the man and his music. During the next 24 hours, I found this to be a feeling of frustration than enticement. The Future Is Unwritten seemed to create more questions than it answered.

Temple chose not to provide nameplates to identify the interviewees. While, from an artist perspective, this is understandable, it quickly became frustrating as a viewer. Not everyone is as easily identifiable as Bono, Matt Dillon or Courtney Love.

Furthermore, the film seemed to be geared more toward diehard fans of Strummer - and to a lesser degree The Clash - than to relative newcomers to his work. The relationships between he and his contemporaries featured in the film were, at best, difficult to piece together.

More attention could have also been focused on the known and lesser known facts around career. While the film provided a general overview, it often only scratched the surface of the story, then quickly cutting to an interview, live footage of recordings from Strummer's radio show.

One of the many items briefly mentioned - and one that would have been fascinating to learn more about - was The Clash having Grandmaster Flash open for them for a show in New York. Other than a few video clips of the concert and a quick clip of Grandmaster Flash making a comment about the event, there was no back story. One of many exampled of more questions than answers.

Overall, The Future Is Unwritten is a solid, and at times, spectacular film. More important than the film itself was the interest gained in the fascinating life of Strummer. I kept thinking of how his life interested me in a similar way to Johnny Cash. Both men having legendary musical careers, but also having a depth of being only few possess.

It is that quality that catapulted Strummer to the forefront of a sweeping musical revolution, and one that is captured in this film