Woodstock- H.Getachew
In time of war, Woodstock was a huge peace demonstration that last 3 days. In the documentary film Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music shows images of young people involved in many acts that was outrageous in the spirit of peace. At the festival young people were drinking, using drugs, having sexing, dancing and bathing nude, which their parents saw as dangers. This is a great image of the generation gap and how the cultural norm was growing and changing between parents their children.
I was surprised that all of the town’s people did not have strong negative view of the festival and the inconvenience it caused. Even the farmer Max Yasgur, wasn’t angry that is farm was destroyed but saw the spirit and the purpose of the festival. He stated that young people have proven to the world they can come together for music, fun and peace.
In the film the split screen is powerful. It shows in one side the musician performing and the other side the effect it had on the people. The festival wasn’t just the music but what the music drove the people to do “ In the Woodstock, then it is not the music which defines the pop festival- rather it is the effects of the music which begin to characterize it as the film captures the vast scale of this unreality” (Schowalter, 91)