movie

1970 · United States

Woodstock

Tonight at a glance

Runtime: 184 min
Age rating: R
Language: English
Country: United States

Why tonight?

A long one. Start it early, and give it the whole evening.

The story

An intimate look at the Woodstock Music & Art Festival held in Bethel, NY in 1969, from preparation through cleanup, with historic access to insiders, blistering concert footage, and portraits of the concertgoers; negative and positive aspects are shown, from drug use by performers to naked fans sliding in the mud, from the collapse of the fences by the unexpected hordes to the surreal arrival of National Guard helicopters with food and medical assistance for the impromptu city of 500,000.

hippie
free love
music festival
marijuana
rock music
drugs
archive footage
music history
concert film
rock festival

The look

A few frames, chosen rather than collected.

The bill

Keith Moon — Self - The Who
Pete Townshend — Self - The Who
Joe Cocker — Self
Country Joe McDonald — Self - Country Joe and the Fish
Barry Melton — Self - Country Joe and the Fish
Greg Dewey — Self - Country Joe and the Fish
Mark Kapner — Self - Country Joe and the Fish
Doug Metzner — Self - Country Joe and the Fish
Arlo Guthrie — Self
David Crosby — Self - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Stephen Stills — Self - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Directed: Michael Wadleigh
Written: Michael Wadleigh

Production

Rating: 7.6 / 10 · 301 ratings
Studio: Wadleigh-Maurice, Warner Bros. Pictures

If this stayed with you

Then these are the nearest things Cue holds — chosen for what they share with it, not for what happens to be popular.