American PopArt and music is a representation of the soul of an age, the spirit of the century, and the rhythm of a culture. American Pop is an animated film about four generations of Americans descended from Russian Jewish immigrants at the advent of the 20th century, all of whom find themselves involved in the popular music of the day. As each story unfolds and transitions from one legacy to the next, American Pop partners the pop music with moments of American history, giving context to the music, and adding richness to the history of a fractured family, chained together across the century by music.
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Directed by Ralph Bakshi, American Pop uses an animation technique called "rotoscoping"--a signature of Bakshi's style--which involves taking footage of real people and animating over them, creating a unique effect that feels both realistic and yet stylized enough to create an "unreal" sensation. This is especially relevant for American Pop; not only does it represent the "bridging" of generations across the decades, but of the story itself, which includes composites and reimaginings of rock and roll and the roots of some of its most recognizable songs. American Pop runs the gamut of popular music, sometimes in the background, but often--especially toward the end of the film--directly in your face. Styles include jazz, burlesque, big band, psychedelic rock, and modern rock, making the evolution of the music in America as much a character as the four principal protagonists. This story of generations begins with Zalmie, who flees to America as a boy with his mother following a pogrom by the czar in Russia. In New York, the boy becomes acquainted with a vaudeville producer named Louie, who takes the kid in after his mother perishes in a workhouse fire. Louie teaches Zalmie stagecraft, but while performing abroad during World War I, an accident causes Zalmie to lose his singing voice, so devotes his time to promoting the musical talent of a young stripper named Bella with whom he falls in love. But as the years roll on, Zalmie and Louie are financed by a gangster named Palumbo, and Bella is caught in the crossfire of the gangland violence escalating around them all...but not before Zalmie and Bella have a son named Benny.
Benny is a piano prodigy, and yet contrary to his father's wishes, never pushes himself to become the star Zalmie always wanted to be. Instead, Benny marries Palumbo's daughter per his father's request, but enlists shortly after giving his wife their son, Tony, who never gets to know his father. With his cool eyes and dejected, rebellious attitude, Tony is filled with existential angst and rage, a fire within him that exemplifies the wild spirit of the Sixties. Inspired by a poetry reading of Allen Ginsberg's "Howl", he makes like Kerouac and heads west, where he falls for a lovely blonde waitress, whose wholesome beauty and kindness stirs the desire for something pure and good in Tony. This is further supported by his gleeful exaltation at discovering himself in Kansas, ecstatic at being around things as simple as fields of corn. Even though they share a one-night stand, Tony doesn't stop in his quest, and heads as far west as possible by land: California. While not much of a performer himself, Tony can write songs, picking up rhythms and inspiration from his travels on railroad cars and the yearning in his own soul. His lyrical penchant turns out to be the missing ingredient in a rock band with a Janis Joplin-inspired lead singer, Frankie Hart, who Tony falls for, and his contributions help them achieve stardom. But Tony's wild living leads him down a spiral of drugs, leeching all the magic from the craft. One night, touring with the band in Kansas City, Tony finds himself reunited with the illegitimate son he didn't know he had. This blond haired boy named Pete follows Tony like a puppy dog back to New York City, and tries to look after his father whose romantic soul has all but withered away. Pete is clearly a survivor, and refuses to yield under pressure, perfecting his musical talents while supporting himself the way his father taught him: on the streets, making scores, selling drugs. Pete's determination at any cost is like a culmination of all of his forefathers, the collective drive of generations pushing him to make it where they did not, leading to a powerful conclusion to this epic testament of music of the 20th century in America.
For just over one and a half hours, American Pop crams a lot of history and themes into its running time, and still manages to field numerous musical numbers. Alongside the rotoscoping, the film features archive footage of the two world wars, as well as memorable events in American history to set the stage for the story of this family. Many of the scenes in American Pop are dramatic, and are like "greatest hits" moments from films that evoke the time from which they came. The scene with Zalmie and Benny in the jazz club, playing the piano, talking about his future is reminiscent of films like Casablanca, doubly so with Benny playing "As Time Goes By". The scenes of shoot-outs between Palumbo's gang and his rivals during the Prohibition is similar to films depicting gangland violence like Scarface (1932) or Little Caesar--or later works like The Untouchables or Dick Tracy--even Palumbo's voice is eerily similar to that of Edward G. Robinson. Even the marriage of Benny to Palumbo's daughter recalls the opening of The Godfather. These nods to moments in cinematic history are a perfect pairing for the musical focus of the film, and conversely, are also like the musical melody that accompanies the montage of images in the opening credits of American Pop. There is a kind of cyclical rhythm to the lives of each of these men, with predominant tropes in each episode. For instance, women in American Pop--especially mothers--often fall prey to the dangers of the age, be it violence or negligence, from Zalmie's mother dying in a fire, Bella slain by a bomb, or even Frankie who becomes a victim to excess and the dark side of "free love". Even the unnamed waitress who was Pete's mother is virtually forgotten, and it's clear that she didn't really want Pete to know about Tony by telling the boy he is "Little Pete", and his absentee father was "Big Pete". American Pop is still a story about survival and about making it through determination and grit in the comparatively young country, with all the pitfalls and rough patches that come with it. It is about self-discovery and passion for music, the spirit of each generation.
Recommended for: Fans of a colorful and music-driven slice of drama set against the backdrop of the 20th century's evolution. Ralph Bakshi's signature style is at its strongest and most relevant in American Pop, and the multitude of musical selections makes the film an entertaining pastiche.
Benny is a piano prodigy, and yet contrary to his father's wishes, never pushes himself to become the star Zalmie always wanted to be. Instead, Benny marries Palumbo's daughter per his father's request, but enlists shortly after giving his wife their son, Tony, who never gets to know his father. With his cool eyes and dejected, rebellious attitude, Tony is filled with existential angst and rage, a fire within him that exemplifies the wild spirit of the Sixties. Inspired by a poetry reading of Allen Ginsberg's "Howl", he makes like Kerouac and heads west, where he falls for a lovely blonde waitress, whose wholesome beauty and kindness stirs the desire for something pure and good in Tony. This is further supported by his gleeful exaltation at discovering himself in Kansas, ecstatic at being around things as simple as fields of corn. Even though they share a one-night stand, Tony doesn't stop in his quest, and heads as far west as possible by land: California. While not much of a performer himself, Tony can write songs, picking up rhythms and inspiration from his travels on railroad cars and the yearning in his own soul. His lyrical penchant turns out to be the missing ingredient in a rock band with a Janis Joplin-inspired lead singer, Frankie Hart, who Tony falls for, and his contributions help them achieve stardom. But Tony's wild living leads him down a spiral of drugs, leeching all the magic from the craft. One night, touring with the band in Kansas City, Tony finds himself reunited with the illegitimate son he didn't know he had. This blond haired boy named Pete follows Tony like a puppy dog back to New York City, and tries to look after his father whose romantic soul has all but withered away. Pete is clearly a survivor, and refuses to yield under pressure, perfecting his musical talents while supporting himself the way his father taught him: on the streets, making scores, selling drugs. Pete's determination at any cost is like a culmination of all of his forefathers, the collective drive of generations pushing him to make it where they did not, leading to a powerful conclusion to this epic testament of music of the 20th century in America.
For just over one and a half hours, American Pop crams a lot of history and themes into its running time, and still manages to field numerous musical numbers. Alongside the rotoscoping, the film features archive footage of the two world wars, as well as memorable events in American history to set the stage for the story of this family. Many of the scenes in American Pop are dramatic, and are like "greatest hits" moments from films that evoke the time from which they came. The scene with Zalmie and Benny in the jazz club, playing the piano, talking about his future is reminiscent of films like Casablanca, doubly so with Benny playing "As Time Goes By". The scenes of shoot-outs between Palumbo's gang and his rivals during the Prohibition is similar to films depicting gangland violence like Scarface (1932) or Little Caesar--or later works like The Untouchables or Dick Tracy--even Palumbo's voice is eerily similar to that of Edward G. Robinson. Even the marriage of Benny to Palumbo's daughter recalls the opening of The Godfather. These nods to moments in cinematic history are a perfect pairing for the musical focus of the film, and conversely, are also like the musical melody that accompanies the montage of images in the opening credits of American Pop. There is a kind of cyclical rhythm to the lives of each of these men, with predominant tropes in each episode. For instance, women in American Pop--especially mothers--often fall prey to the dangers of the age, be it violence or negligence, from Zalmie's mother dying in a fire, Bella slain by a bomb, or even Frankie who becomes a victim to excess and the dark side of "free love". Even the unnamed waitress who was Pete's mother is virtually forgotten, and it's clear that she didn't really want Pete to know about Tony by telling the boy he is "Little Pete", and his absentee father was "Big Pete". American Pop is still a story about survival and about making it through determination and grit in the comparatively young country, with all the pitfalls and rough patches that come with it. It is about self-discovery and passion for music, the spirit of each generation.
Recommended for: Fans of a colorful and music-driven slice of drama set against the backdrop of the 20th century's evolution. Ralph Bakshi's signature style is at its strongest and most relevant in American Pop, and the multitude of musical selections makes the film an entertaining pastiche.