A Poem Is a Naked Person

Les Blank's 1974 portrait of Leon Russell—which wasn't released until 2015—concentrates as much on the musician's surroundings as on the man himself. In between performances and scenes of small-town Oklahoma life, Blank inserts arresting nature shots, such as a geometric water reflection. An elderly neighbor confesses, "Well, the first time I saw Leon, I like to come unglued, 'cause he had long hair, and I wasn't used to it." But she became so accustomed to Russell's look that she convinced her husband to grow out his hair (a story that exemplifies the way Russell bridges genres and generations). Although his style reflects the times, Russell has a deep respect for established artists, such as George Jones, for whom he records a lovely version of “Take Me.” Blank also films artist Jim Franklin painting a mural on his pool (in a disturbing sequence, Franklin feeds a baby chick to a snake), cutting to Russell in concert, where he plays the piano and sings in his rough-hewn voice. Other performers include Willie Nelson and Eric Anderson—with whom Russell clashes (because Anderson doesn't feel Russell is showing him sufficient respect. When Russell isn't on screen, Blank focuses on other locals, including a little girl who sings "Joy to the World," and a man who drinks a toast to the state before literally eating his glass. While there is no standard biographical information here about Russell's personal life or his career, Blank beautifully captures the life he lived in the 1970s. Extras include a new conversation between Russell and Harrod Blank (Les's son), excerpts from a 2013 Q&A with Les Blank, a retrospective documentary, the short documentary “Out in the Woods” by Blank's assistant editor and sound recordist Maureen Gosling, and a booklet with an essay by film critic Kent Jones. Highly recommended. (K. Fennessy)