Eight years after John Lennon's death, and seventeen years after John's most popular solo album "Imagine" came out, this documentary was released. It was 1988 and the shock of Lennon's murder was lessening, and then they released this. But this documentary wasn't made to make people feel sad, but instead, it showed John Lennon's life from his early days living with his aunt, to his days with the Beatles, to his radical solo work and life with Yoko Ono. John is put in neither a positive nor a negative light here, so you can make the decision yourself. Was John a nut case, or a genius, or both, or something completely different altogether? This documentary is full of old interviews, archive footage of the Beatles concerts, and along with that it has new interviews from Cynthia Lennon, Yoko Ono and Julian Lennon, among others. It shows John's time in the recording studio, and his life with Yoko and how much he loved her, and she loved him. It gives us interesting footage from his home too.The more interesting scenes in this film are one's that we wouldn't normally see. A bum was walking around in Lennon's flower garden, and John asks him why, and this man believes John is writing his music for this man. They end up inviting him in for some lunch. That was probably the best scene in the movie, and the one that described John's overall attitude throughout his life. He was writing for himself, and for his wife, but if any other person felt personally touched by his music, then his message was universal. As shown in this movie, it wasn't his goal to reach others, only himself.All of John and Yoko's more artistic moments are featured here too, including their bed in's, and their artistic ideas like covering themselves with a blanket so no one can see what they look like. During their bed-in, they invited over Al Capp, creator of the Lil Abner cartoon strips, and he tries his hardest to rip them to pieces, which is irritating, but yet again, one of the best scenes in the movie.This documentary has some really neat footage, and that's the stuff that makes this good. The 1988 interviews were interesting on giving insight, but the footage from Lennon's solo work prime in the early 70's is what shows what he was about, and is what makes this documentary.My rating: *** out of ****. 100 mins. Not rated, contains language and nudity.

In 1987, seven years after John Lennon's tragic murder, a book came out. I've forgotten the title and the author, but it portrayed Lennon VERY negatively. It showed him as a cruel, egotistical monster who abused drugs and alcohol up to his death. The book was written by somebody who had never talked to anybody who knew Lennon. Yoko Ono was shocked and pushed to have this documentary made to set the record straight.It's full of home movies, news footage, videos all narrated by John Lennon himself (he recorded over 200 hours talking about his life and work). It's not a whitewash of him--it does point out he was a mean drunk and he is shown swearing and telling off Phil Spector in a recording studio when a song was not working out. It also chronicles his remark about the Beatles being "bigger than Jesus Christ" and totally ignores how horribly he treated his first wife Cynthia. But, aside from that footage, there is also interviews with Johns wives, his children and, basically, everyone who knew him (curiously, none of the Beatles were interviewed). He comes across as a very talented, peace-loving man--he has his dark moments but everybody does. His confrontations with Al Capp and Gloria Emerson are just fascinating.I remember seeing this in a theatre in 1988 and most of the audience walked out crying. 15 years later the ending still packs a punch. It shows people crying at the peace rallies held after Lennon's death and ends with the "Imagine" video him and Yoko did. Also "In My Life" plays over the closing credits. A fascinating, very moving documentary of a great man. Recommended.

John Lennon was a genius at his own right. His major talent as amusician and songwriter was his biggest contribution to the world, and when he died, he left behind a huge gap that can never be filled again. IMAGINE: JOHN LENNON shows the music star through the ages, as a kid in Liverpool, the rise and fall of the Beatles, his life with wife Yoko Ono, and to his untimely death. God rest this man's soul.

Forget the unmistakable legend of the Beatles for about two hours! This one is entirely about John! I give kudos to the producers who show how this complex and fascinating artist was also a brilliant man and a wonderful human being with strengths as well as frailties! Just listening to and watching the people from John's life (his two wives and sons especially) as they talk about him clearly shows how much they not only loved him, but that they miss him terribly. I went out and rented this film for the first time in years last December around the 20th anniversary of John's cruel and senseless murder! I loved seeing him triumph over the crooked Nixon White House in the latter's attempt to deport him. I also had to smile when the so-called "lost weekend" was over and he was back with Yoko, which only got better with Sean's birth! I found myself touched by the scene where he tells the vagrant the truth behind his songwriting, and then invites him in for a meal. I never met John personally, but after seeing this film I felt like I knew him. By the time the film got to the footage of the Lennons walking in Central Park shortly before his death, I cringed when I heard John's recorded voice saying "...until I'm dead and buried; and I hope that's a long, long time". The slowed-down footage against the background music of the crescendo coda of "A Day In The Life" leading up to the tragic event was well-edited and made its desired impact (the glasses falling and shattering on the cement). Then the newsreel footage of the mourners from around the world. As a fan of John's, I didn't have to look at that footage for very long before losing my composure and feeling the profound sense of loss I felt years ago when it happened. In short, I cried long and hard. I won't give the son of a bitch who shot him the satisfaction of mentioning his name. He is the lowest form of life on earth, and this film does John justice by not giving any mention of his name either. Those who love John will love this film. It doesn't portray him as a big shot rock star! It portrays him as I think he wanted to be seen: as a vulnerable human being, just like us!