London-based filmmaker Baillie Walsh wrote and directed the 2008 Daniel Craig comedy Flashbacks of a Fool, did his own photography for a documentary on the band Oasis and directed a series of music videos for Kylie Minogue (“Slow”), Boy George (“Generations of Love”), Massive Attack (“Unfinished Sympathy”), New Order (“World”) and INXS (“Taste It”). For his latest project Springsteen & I, however, Walsh almost takes pride when he declares, “I didn’t film a thing. I did absolutely nothing.”
The new documentary combines fan testimonials about the Boss and his music along with a generous sampling of performance clips from throughout Springsteen’s 40-year recording career (his debut album Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. hit record stores on Jan. 5, 1973).
Walsh and his cohorts requested short videos of Springsteen’s fans recalling how he and his tunes had affected their lives. Thousands replied. And Walsh’s actual work began.
Walsh says, “It was entertaining and frustrating and confusing. It was a very interesting process, that thrilling moment within the 2,000 stories when something, a really great, touching and emotional story [began to emerge] and you think, ‘Hey, we’re on to something.’ Maybe I can make a film of this.
“When I started the process, I had no idea what the film could be or would be, which is quite nerve-wracking. But with any film that you start without a script, you never know what it’s going to be.
“I wanted to keep it as pure as possible. Obviously, as a director, I could enlarge on some of these stories. I could have made it more cinematic, visually or whatever. I felt there was a purity of this love that I didn’t want to interfere with.”
Many of the fans had delightful firsthand encounters with the musician and could even back up everything they recounted with additional videos of the incident. For example, a couple known as “Nick and Dotty from Philadelphia” recount how Nick, in full Elvis regalia, joined the Boss in a medley of two of the King’s hits.
“What I love about that story is the pride with which she tells that story,” Walsh says. “She likens it to Rocky. She says, ‘You know when Adrian and Rocky meet.’ That’s what I love about that story.”
In another incident, a busker named JoJo recounts how in 1988, he had a 45-minute impromptu jam with Springsteen, and the video of the incident involving the mutually giddy musicians shows up in Springsteen & I. Curious viewers can even learn what key “Dancing in the Dark” is in.
“I love that clip,” Walsh says. “And it’s so telling of who Bruce is. I don’t know many superstars - and Bruce is at the very height of his fame at that point - that would do that. Most superstars are surrounded by bouncers and security. Bruce is walking around the streets of Copenhagen with [saxophonist] Clarence [Clemons].”
Nonetheless, Walsh says that supporting footage was not necessarily his primary factor in including testimony. “The stories that I use don’t necessarily need backup. It wasn’t necessarily that ‘I met Bruce here or I met Bruce there.’ It was more about how Bruce has affected their lives.
“We weren’t doing an investigative documentary here; it was much more of an emotional documentary. When people tell me they were affected in a certain way, I absolutely believe them. There’s no reason for them to lie,” he says.
“When people have documentation of that, it makes my job easier and their job a lot easier. But if we just had the footage of [Nick as Elvis], as great as it is, and as generous as Bruce was to let this man on stage, what is lovely is Nick and Dotty sitting in a park, eating those sandwiches and reliving that story for us. People are letting you into their lives in a very charming way.”
Springsteen & I builds on the format pioneered by Scottish director Kevin Macdonald’s Life in a Day, where people from around the world turned in clips of themselves all taken on a single day. English director Sir Ridley Scott executive produced both films.
“Life in a Day was essentially the springboard for the Springsteen film,” Walsh says. “That’s where the similarity stopped. It was a fascinating, brilliant way to get people to contribute, and it wouldn’t have been possible a few years ago.”
WHY BRUCE?
When asked why Springsteen was selected for the documentary over say, Justin Bieber or other popular singers, Walsh says, “The fact that the man has had a 40-year career. He has generations of fans. We have young children in this film, and we have 75-year-old people in this film. Not only that, he’s a genius storyteller, which inspires storytelling in his fans.”
In addition, despite the fact that Springsteen turns 64 on Sept. 23, Walsh says that the musician still has more to offer. “His energy is unbelievable,” he says. “Another reason I was interested in this project is that [2012’s] Wrecking Ball is such a relevant album. The fact that the man is doing music that is so relevant, and it’s some of his best work, I think. I really hope that when I’m in my 60s, I’m doing my best work.”
Scott’s influence helped open doors with Springsteen’s management, who provided him with material for the final film, including clips that had rarely been seen before.
“By Bruce giving us permission to make this film, I was able to do that. There isn’t another film about Bruce that has all this footage. It’s breathtaking to see his career on film. That was my job as a filmmaker, even though I didn’t want to film anything, to try and link those stories with the time [in Springsteen’s career] they’re talking about.”
“They wanted to be very distant from it. They didn’t want to be part of it; they wanted to give it the freedom. But because they accepted the project, they gave us access to the music and clips.”
Springsteen & I includes clips from fans in Japan, Europe and Australia. Nonetheless, Walsh maintains the best clips, like the Boss himself, were born in the U.S.A.
“For some reason, you guys in America are so film literate. You just know how to tell a story on film. There are more Americans in this film than from any other nation.”
Style, Pages 47 on 07/21/2013