I'm like a Bird

Music and film. Film and music. An interesting symbiotic relationships exists between these two creative mediums. We could all name films where the soundtrack is more memorable than the movie itself. It is also true that films are often defined by their incidental music, sometimes subtle, sometimes in your face, but always moving the story along and setting the scene. But in terms of films about music, or about musicians, there are surprisingly few great examples, despite the fact that musicians have often lived extremely colourful lives. The biopic is a difficult project to pull off, but there are a handful of standout offers, and one of the primest examples is Clint Eastwood's marvellous treatment of the life of the imperious Charlie "Bird" Parker.

This 1988 offering, starring Forest Whitaker as the troubled saxophonist and jazz giant is not perfect by any means, but it does capture the tragedy of Parker's early drug and drink addled death at just 34, and features a stunning performance from Whitaker, and an incredible musical track. The man's demons are dealt with honestly, and Eastwood's own love of jazz comes through in his handling of the musical scenes, and the unabashedly open account of the often turbulent jazz scene in 1940s America. The story is told without sentimentality and is better for it, and is well worth checking out. Furthermore it was this film which encouraged me to check out Parker's music itself, which of course is simply stunning, and so for that I will always think fondly of it. If you think jazz isn't for you, and you want a way to prove yourself wrong, Bird is definitely the place to start.