Jonathan Berman's Commune offers an engrossing and entertaining look back at communal life on the Black Bear Ranch (located in the wilds of northern California) during the 1970s. Although the former resident interviewees—who include actor Peter Coyote, herbalist Michael Tierra, and painter Elsa Marley—have fond memories of the social project built around the concept of “free land for free people,” this is not history seen through rose-colored granny glasses. Idealism was definitely strong (“we were going to change the world”), but these “Wild West hippies” were also realistic (one interviewee recalls that during one terribly cold winter he could “chop wood and cook food, or become a dead Zen guy”). Combining lots of archival footage (with many of the inhabitants au naturel) together with contemporary interviews of former members, their grown offspring, and nearby town folk, Commune traces the story of Black Bear Ranch as the initial settlers farmed the land (the FBI raided a suspected pot patch that turned out to be tomato plants), built shelters (the earth mothers were not afraid to wield chainsaws), experimented with orgies (“not deeply fulfilling”), healed themselves with herbal medicine (“a lot vomited during the first years”), raised children (“with a baby waking up at 6 a.m., you might not want to hear your friend out there in wino tom-tom land at 4 a.m.”), and successfully fended off a squatter cult group called the Shiva Lila who worshipped children. Eventually, says one person, “people left to fulfill themselves.” Still, new generations continue to come to Black Bear (one young neo-hippie girl, rifling through clothes on hangers, giggles and says, “ooh…Sixties lingerie!”), and many of the ideals of the original settlers live on, as evidenced in a touching funeral reunion for one of the interviewees who died during the making of the film. An excellent portrait of a time, a place, and a people who didn't fit the stereotype, Commune is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (R. Pitman)[DVD Review—Oct. 16, 2007—First Run, 78 min., not rated, $24.95—Making its second appearance on DVD, 2006's Commune sports a fine transfer and DVD extras including an extended interview with Peter Coyote (15 min.), “Uncensored: ‘The Bare Truth' of Communal Living” home movie clips (3 min.), text filmmaker bios, the DVD-ROM accessible “Secret FBI File on the Black Bear Ranch” and “Black Bear Family Album & History,” and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an excellent documentary.]
Commune
(2005) 78 min. DVD: $194.95. Five Points Media (dist. by CustomFlix). PPR. Color cover. Volume 21, Issue 5
Commune
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