Throw Down Your Heart

Last week I was blessed enough to have watched Bela Fleck's documentary "Throw Down Your Heart," in which the banjo virtuoso travels back to Africa to discover the roots of his instrument.

My overall impression of the film is a very positive one- we are exposed to a vast array of different musical instruments and styles not typical to the US. In addition, for the most part, Bela manages to meld the banjo in with relative ease into the music. I also appreciated that he openly acknowledges the work of his sound engineer.




My biggest issue with the film resides in the fact that it is terribly over-edited. The naturalistic feel of the film is subverted in the cutting room by an overzealous editor who is trying to do too much, instead of letting both the music and the overarching narrative flow naturally. Music scenes are cut too short, and the film lacks any sort of natural visual aesthetic. This all comes to a climax at the end, when the final visual montage is on screen. The editor is trying to create meaning and message when there isn't one.

All that being said, this is still a good piece of documentary filmmaking, mostly because of the sheer force of musical genius that is Bela Fleck. I would have liked to have seen extended cuts of the musical acts, and more of the selection process of the other acts with whom he played. All in all, definitely worth a watch if not just for the music itself.