The new documentary “Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt” might have a lot to do with making the respected songwriter more famous in death than he was in life. It’s a stirring and emotionally felt tribute.
Townes Van Zandt sang his own songs and released a score of albums but never really had a hit with any of them. Luckily, other singers revered his work, with Emmylou Harris performing a classic version of “If I Needed You” and Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard scoring a smash 1983 hit with “Pancho &Lefty.”
| “Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt” HHH
Tantalizing: Documentary about the respected songwriter, who never had a hit in his own singing career. A life of recklessness and substance abuse makes for a sometimes maddening experience, but the songs are still there. Rated: Not rated; probably PG-13 for language Now showing: Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave., Seattle; 206-329-2629 |
The movie shines a light on Van Zandt’s life, which was largely one of struggle and substance abuse. Born into a prominent Texas family, he met his demons early, sniffing glue in school and exhibiting erratic behavior.
The film suggests a course of electroshock treatment was responsible for many of his later problems, but it looks as though Van Zandt had instability built into his personality from the beginning. Before the shock therapy, he dropped from a four-story-high balcony during a party just to see what it would feel like.
He had three marriages, three children, and years of touring. He inspired other musicians but sometimes stumbled his way through public performances, blitzed on booze.
Director Margaret Brown uses a tremendous amount of footage of Van Zandt, thanks to home video, talk-show interviews and public performances. He comes across as elusive and hidden, self-conscious to an almost crippling degree.
Brown interviewed friends and colleagues of Van Zandt to share their memories, which enriches the portrait. Willie Nelson, Guy Clark, Steve Earle and Kris Kristofferson all give insight.
The net effect of this is absorbing. Also maddening, since Van Zandt clearly could have achieved more with his gifts if he’d cleaned himself up. The visible squandering of his talent – to say nothing of the spectacle it must have presented to his children – is painful to watch.
Still, the songs are there. A batch of them are excerpted in the film, although hearing a few in their entirety would have been nice.
In oneinterview, Van Zandt says he wants to write songs so good no one can understand them, “including me.” This film gives evidence of how hard it must have been to live with that ambition.
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