DVD Reviews

Lennon Naked – DVD Review

By Jeff Swindoll Dec 15, 2010, 13:27 GMT

Christopher Eccleston (Doctor Who, Heroes) stars as one of the most enduring and enigmatic figures of the 20th Century, John Lennon, in this riveting drama. One quarter of “The Fab Four,” peace activist, visual artist, and author, John Lennon was a man whose personal life was never short on drama, intrigue and eventually, conspiracy. Thirty years after his death, Lennon Naked presents an inside look at the hugely popular musician ...more

John Lennon was shot down by an assassin on December 8, 1980.  This film doesn’t cover his final years or Beatles career, but more his turbulent attempt at reconciliation with his father. 

John Lennon (Christopher Eccleston) is on top of the world with the Beatles along with Paul McCartney (Andrew Scott), George Harrison (Jack Morgan), and Ringo Starr (Craig Cheetham). 

John is convinced by their manager Brian Epstein (Rory Kinnear) to meet Freddie Lennon (Christopher Fairbank), his estranged father who left seventeen years prior, in a press conference.  It does not go well.  A reunion three years after also ends poorly. 

Years later, Lennon is unhappy at home with wife Cynthia (Claudie Blakley) but a meeting with Japanese visual artist Yoko Ono (Naoko Mori) leads to the breakdown of the marriage and Lennon’s family history repeating as he leaves his wife and child. 

This story of Lennon’s relationship with his father comes from fact but has been fictionalized as well (or so a missive tells us before the show).  It only covers the later 1960s and the early 1970s and is not a complete biopic of the late Beatle. 

If anything you have to give credit for picking a lead that looks incredibly like Lennon although the age of Eccleston seems off for the portrayal (he’s in his mid-40s and Lennon was much younger during the time period).  The problem arises that the whole thing is played out in an 80 minute runtime and it comes off as rushed.  The film would’ve certainly benefited from some breathing room. 

There’s little time for happy revelations and it sticks towards the sensational and conflicts.  Eccleston is very good in the role however, but everyone else seems to come off as caricatures of the famous folk they’re playing. 

The focus is certainly off of Lennon the artist and more onto the “feet of clay” that we all suffer from.  Those that idolize him may not like the way he’s portrayed her.  “Print the legend” as John Ford postulated I suppose. 

Lennon Naked is presented in widescreen (1.85:1) and is enhanced for 16x9 televisions.  There are no special features sadly. 

Lennon Naked does have John in the buff but it’s more on the naked and raw emotion of the turmoil of his life.  Unfortunately in the film’s short running time it seems like Lennon’s life wasn’t a nice one. 

It is expertly cast in the lead (besides the age thing), but much of the others fly by very fast or seem glossed over (or fictionalized).  It may well be worth a look for the positives, just don’t expect the narratives to be happy ones. 

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