Text: Ash Pritchard

Forty years ago, hippy kids from across the United States gathered to celebrate three days of peace and music at a site next to the sleepy hamlet White Lake, in the Catskills in New York State. The event, billed as “An Aquarian Exposition”, featured performances from the musical greats of the day (including Hendrix and Patti Smith) and is recognized as the music festival that defined a generation – Woodstock. Those three days, and the events leading up to them, are the subject of Taking Woodstock, the latest feature from Ang Lee, the Taiwan-born director who, with his past two films (Lust Caution, Brokeback Mountain), has cemented his position as one of the world’s most respected and accomplished film-makers.

Lee opens the movie with trademark stunning visuals, shots of the fields, wildlife and the quiet and dreary White Lake accompanied by an acoustic refrain that is reminiscent of the opening to Brokeback Mountain. The story soon focuses on the character of Elliot Tichman, a young (and closet gay) businessman who has returned from the city to help his aging parents run their failing and decrepit motel, the El Monaco.

White Lake is the sort of one horse town that is accustomed to missing out on the action, and populated by a cast of weird and wacky locals, not to mention the experimental drama group living in Elliot’s barn. When a neighbouring town pulls the permit on a rock festival planned by a shady company called Woodstock Ventures, Elliot uses his position as head of the local chamber of commerce to bring the concert to White Lake. Soon, nearly 500,000 hippies are converging on a town, for the seminal event that will change not only the lives of the flower-power generation, but also deeply affect Elliot’s small family.

Taking Woodstock’s strength is the strong performances by actors playing interesting and colourful parts. Elliot (an understated turn by comedian Demetri Martin) has to deal with his overbearing and penny-pinching immigrant mother (Imelda Staunton) and taciturn father (Henry Goodman). As events unfold, a young Vietnam vet (Emile Hirsch), laid back promoter (Johnathan Groff) and the cattle-farmer who allows the festival to happen on his land (Eugene Levy) are added to the ensemble cast. Most memorable is a transvestite and former marine (a scene-stealing performance by Liev Schreiber) – a lady with a blond wig, who packs a piece strapped to her inside thigh.

Ang Lee has become an expert at capturing the mood of the 60s and 70s, as past films such as The Ice Storm and Brokeback Mountain demonstrate. Disappointingly, Taking Woodstock lacks the narrative drive or crackling dialogue of these prior successes. The film is almost lackadaisical in its approach, meandering from one set piece to the next, with variable results. Noteworthy scenes include Elliot’s journey through the crowds on the back of a police motorcycle, a gay kiss cheered on by watching hippies, and a climactic acid trip. However, at a running time of two hours, the movie is far too chilled out for its own good. As a result, younger fans of Lee may not be too enamoured with Taking Woodstock. However one can’t help but suspect that this movie was made primarily for their parents and grandparents. After all, they were the ones who actually lived the sex, drugs and rock’n’roll experience of the Woodstock generation.