CHUCK BERRY: THE ORIGINAL KING OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL – A Review by John Strange
Feature documentaries allow filmmakers to delve deep into their subjects. With Chuck Berry: The Original King of Rock ‘N’ Roll, filmmaker Jon Brewer has given us a very good view of the rock and roll life of Mr. Charles Edward Anderson Berry, known to the world as Chuck Berry.
The opening clip and several more video re-creations found throughout the film are shown in black and white with, normally, one color added. These are taken from Berry’s life and are always visually stunning.
Video interviews from a plethora of major rock and roll legends like Steven Van Zandt, Alice Cooper, Joe Perry, Nile Rodgers, George Thorogood, Joe Bonamassa, and Gene Simmons are interspersed with stories from Chuck’s family, especially his wife, Themetta, as we learn about the career of this legend.
The stories we learn about Chuck are a mixture of what I already knew and a bunch that I never heard before. The man had depths I never even suspected. He bought and ran restaurants and night clubs, he bought several houses for his family, and he bought the land that became Berry Land (an amusement park and resort).
This man was talented to the point that some folks took exception to the fact that his was black. He went to prison multiple times, but it never seemed to hurt his career all that much. In fact, his being a bit of an outlaw may have even heightened his fame.
This is an excellent film allowing the men and women who worked with Chuck and those who idolized his abilities as both a poet and a musician to tell us more about the man who has been called the poet laureate of Rock ‘N’ Roll. Take a look at the cast listed below to see who took part in the telling of their Chuck Berry stories. It’s a “Who’s Who” of Rock ‘N’ Roll and Blues.
This is an excellent film that I rate a strong 5-stars. We lost Mr. Berry on March 18, 2017. Sadly, we’ll probably never again see his like.
Directed by: Jon Brewer
Cast: Themetta Berry, Ingrid Berry, Charles Berry Jr., Steven Van Zandt, Alice Cooper, Joe Perry, Nile Rodgers, George Thorogood, Joe Bonamassa, Johnnie Johnson, Marshall Chess, Gene Simmons, Johnny Rivers, Jahi Eskridge (Chuck’s grandson), Gary Clark Jr., Johnny Rivers, Wayne Kramer, Eric Clapton, George Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ron Woods, Mick Jagger, Jerry Lee Lewis, Nils Lofgren, Steve Jones, Keith Richards, Taylor Hackford, Elise Legrow,
MPAA Rating: NR
Selig Rating: 5 Stars
Runtime: 100 Min.
Movie Site: Chuck the Documentary
Trailer: Chuck the Trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie, well worth the price.
4 Stars – Good movie
3 Stars – OK movie
2 Stars – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
1 Star – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn’t paid for it.
