Bird - The Charlie Parker Story DVD

I bought 'Bird', the Charlie Parker story from Amazon, for £5.99.

Though the film was released initially in 1988 it has been quite hard to get on DVD (even though it was released in this format in 2006), for some reason, and as a big Charlie Parker fan I was thrilled to see lots of copies now available. It carries a British '15' rating. and is a mammoth 154 minutes long (yep, that is nearly three hours).

Clint Eastwood ...
...it was never going to be an all time best seller or break any box office records, though it did win best actor at Cannes film festival for Forest Whitaker who plays Charlie Parker. Deservedly so, as Forest Whitaker puts in a dark, moody and believable performance, even some of his sax' 'playing' looks convincing. On top of that the New York Film critics award for best supporting actress went to Diane Venora who plays Parkers' wife (though it is disputed ... more

I bought 'Bird', the Charlie Parker story from Amazon, for £5.99.

Though the film was released initially in 1988 it has been quite hard to get on DVD (even though it was released in this format in 2006), for some reason, and as a big Charlie Parker fan I was thrilled to see lots of copies now available. It carries a British '15' rating. and is a mammoth 154 minutes long (yep, that is nearly three hours).

Clint Eastwood directed this film, partly as a labour of love, as it was never going to be an all time best seller or break any box office records, though it did win best actor at Cannes film festival for Forest Whitaker who plays Charlie Parker. Deservedly so, as Forest Whitaker puts in a dark, moody and believable performance, even some of his sax' 'playing' looks convincing. On top of that the New York Film critics award for best supporting actress went to Diane Venora who plays Parkers' wife (though it is disputed whether they really ever married, or whether his first wife was ever divorced) Chan.

Of course we only see a three hour snapshot of Charlie Parker, who tragically died (like so many brilliant musicians) of drug related organ failure, aged only 35, though the doctor who declared him dead thought he was in his 60's, so one of the many legends sorrounding the man states.

'It's Just music. It's playing clean and looking for the pretty notes"
This is how Charlie Parker described his skill, talent and unbelievable contribution to be bop and jazz. Probably one of the greatest Alto Sax players of all time, and we are priveleged in this film to get a very small piece of that.

The most interesting thing for me about the whole film is how one cannot help but feel sorry for Parker, and at the same time be repulsed by the self destructive streak that ran through him, maybe that was because he was so shunned from an early age in relation to his innovative music style. We see the young Charlie Parker growing up in the jazz capital (at the time) of the USA, Kansas, picking up his first sax' and then going to watch other saxophonists play and pick up tips, just by watching and listening.

We see Parker 'trying out' in the Reno club and getting laughed of stage, only to return later with his own style intact and mature, though if one reads various websites dedicated to Parker, how much truth is in Eastwoods's story is open to question. That he got laughed off seems to be true, how he returned and his style is less clear.

The film also portrays Parkers enduring friendship with Dizzy Gillespie though seems to portray Dizzy as some kind of saint in relation to Parker's excesses. Though this is where the joy (not that there is much of it) starts to shine in the movie, we get to hear genuine clips of Parker, Gillespie, Charlie Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davies and others, if you like Jazz, this is the film for you.

The Charlie Parker story, as portrayed in this film is a depressing insight into a brilliant musician that had a ferocious appetite for women, alcohol and drugs, yet also 'shone' on stage with his saxophone at hand. We get to see the tragedy of his life unfold, his addictions, his suicide attempts, his daughter dying at a young age of pneumonia. There are times in this film where one feels like it is all too dark, and would be better not watched from the voyeuristic perspective that Eastwood provides, and yet, it is compulsive viewing, especially when we hear just a few notes.

Then there are the moments that show the genuine, human, vulnerable and childlike 'niceness' of the man, he porns a sax' to rent a white horse and serenade Chan for instance.

The one thing that does not show in the film is how hard it was for black musicians in the 30,s, 40's and 50's America to actually make a living and be respected by the music establishment, though it hints at this by shwing Parker and Gillespie on tour all over the USA. The truth is however, after Parker's death there was little money through copyright, recording etc. for those he left behind, and profits have been made by many others on his name, Eastwood could have shown something about this in my opinion.

All in all, one of the most depressing and compulsive films that I have ever seen, brilliant musical soundtrack, and brilliant directing from Eastwood.

DVD extras are only a trailer that came with the original film, for showing in cinemas.

In addition the DVD can be viewed in English, French and Italian, or with Arabic, Dutch, Hungarian, English, French, Icelandic or Italian subtitles. The DVD can be viewed in Widescreen format and heard in Dolby digital surround.

The case is illustrated in the picture that accompanies this review. 

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