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review: The Ramones are one of the most iconic and influential rock bands of all time, but if you're like me, chances are that your knowledge of the band is fairly rudimentary. Prior to viewing this documentary, my main impression of the band apart from their classic songs was that Joey was funny and cool and that Johnny was surprisingly a Republican. And even after watching the film, I still feel like I've only just scratched the surface. This is not a shortcoming of the film by any means, but a testament to how complex each of the Ramones is or was as an individual and how turbulent their history and relationships to each other were. Really, there could be a separate feature-length documentary on each of Johnny, Joey, and Dee Dee's lives.
With a combination of new and archive interview footage, the film starts with an unsentimental look back at their origins as teenage nogoodniks in Queens and traces the band's trajectory from determined but ignored young rockers to their first glimmers of success in England, and all the tumult, betrayal, drug addiction, mental problems, career inertia, and lineup changes that followed. This is augmented with blistering concert footage spanning their career that clearly shows the band's impressive onstage power. Their story is told entirely through interviews and the new and archival footage; fortunately there are no VH-1 Behind the Music-style voiceovers or recreations.
Through it all, it was Johnny's almost militaristic discipline and the unflagging commitment of the band as a whole that kept them together. Johnny comes across as a cranky, unfeeling bastard (the Republicanism starts to make sense) whose pouty detachment reminds me more than a little of Spinal Tap's Nigel Tufnel. Joey is a bittersweet figure, a victim of many things, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, a very personal betrayal by Johnny, and of course the cancer that ultimately felled him, but also a man of great humor and a certain gangly grace. For me the most fascinating Ramone was Dee Dee, with his checkered, mercurial, and flamboyant life: his stint as a bisexual street hustler, his battles with drugs and various mental afflictions, and even his abortive flirtation with a rap career. In a memorable cut interview scene in the bonus features, Debbie Harry and Chris Stein of Blondie practically roll their eyes reminiscing about Dee Dee's continuing litany of problems. Yet through it all it's apparent that Dee Dee has the bleeding heart of a romantic. Of all the Ramones, I think Dee Dee is the best candidate for a comprehensive "solo" documentary (beyond Hey Is Dee Dee Home?, which is apparently limited in scope).
Speaking of bonus features, unfortunately there isn't a commentary track on the DVD, but there are more cut scenes which are definitely worth watching, including a heartfelt tribute to the band from Joe Strummer in what was to be his final interview, an impressive drum demonstration from Marky Ramone, and a recounting of "Who Wrote What on the First 3 Albums" with Tommy Ramone which is a surprisingly moving testament to the creative contributions of all the band's members.
It's a tall order to recount the 22-year career of a legendary rock band in a 110-minute film, but this film does an excellent job of giving you the essentials in the respectful and unflinchingly honest manner that the subject matter deserves. If you've got any interest at all in the last 30 years of rock music then this film is essential viewing for you. (mike.07.05)
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