FireBlade DVD Review: Hair

Review by Jerry Stratton, 5/24/1999

Join the holy orgy!

A fun musical set in the sixties, during the Vietnam War. A young man comes to New York City from Oklahoma to be drafted. On arrival, he meets up with some vagrant hippies with great musical taste.

Some minor scratches, especially towards the beginning, are noticeable. The movie itself is so vibrant, I can never remember to look for them once the music starts. The music is wonderful. You’ve already heard a number of the songs: “Let the Sunshine In”, “Age of Aquarius” for certain. Unless you’ve seen the movie, however, you almost certainly have not heard others: “Sodomy” for example. And then there’s the “Black Boys Are Delicious/White Boys are so Pretty” draft board scene. Absolutely unforgettable. And which could easily get you beaten and lying in a ditch if you start humming it in most parts of the United States.

One of the most amazing things to me in this movie is how little moralizing there is in any direction. It isn’t a bad thing that Claude is going into the army; Berger and the rest of the hippies aren’t better because they burn their draft cards. They just get to have more fun. Having a child and not knowing who the father is, is neither better nor worse than having a child and knowing who the father is. Things that in movies today would require a moral resolution are simply bits and pieces in the movie, irrelevant to the dawning of the age of Aquarius.

Treat Williams (1941) puts in one of his best performances ever, and (to me, at least) was completely unrecognizable until he cut his hair. He is the most natural of the performers; he ‘breaks into song’ almost seamlessly and maintains a natural, conversational facial expression as he sings his dialogue. All told, Hair is one of the best, if not the best, musicals on the screen for the naturalness of the singing.

One of the extras is a poster gallery: posters advertising various productions of the play around the United States. These are wild, sixties-style posters you’ll have lots of fun looking at. It was a great idea to include them. My graphic designer friends were in awe over what was able to be done pre-Photoshop!

Recommendation: Purchase Now!

Web Sites Related to Hair

Hair, The Original Page
Everything you need to know about the American Tribal Love/Rock Musical! Includes sound files, lyrics, history of the production, and overview of the cast members and where they are now.

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Jerry

It Isn’t Murder If They’re Yankees