Robbie Robertson: Cinephile

Robbie Robertson (Photo by Silvia Grav)

While Robbie Robertson’s early career was defined as being one of the founding members of The Band and all the monumental musical achievements they notched, the last few decades have found him indulging in his love of film as a composer. A personal and professional partnership with Martin Scorsese grew out of the latter being the director of 1978’s The Last Waltz, a movie about The Band’s last gig at the Winterland Ballroom as performed by all five original members and arguably one of the greatest rock documentaries of all time. Robertson’s love affair with the movies began when he was a kid.

“I thought that if I hadn’t gotten addicted to music at such a young age and thrown myself into it 100 percent, I would have ended up being a screenwriter or filmmaker of some kind,” he said. “The idea of movies that could tell a story and make you part of it. What really pushed my button was film noir. I was so drawn to the look, the vibe and again, to the danger. That drew me in and it’s when I became dedicated and addicted to movies. I just kept going deeper and deeper until I was finally checking out [Akira] Kurosawa and [Federico] Fellini. The I wanted to know more about [Ingmar] Bergman and [Luis] Buñuel and on and on. And of course before that, Howard Hawks, Orson Welles, John Ford and all of these tremendous American film directors.”

Robertson’s discovery phase found him going down the rabbit hole of numerous directors including Vittorio De Sica, Roberto Rossellini and the late Michelangelo Antonioni, who eventually became a friend. Here are a few more filmmakers the Canadian Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has a soft spot for.

Michael Powell (September 30, 1905 to February 19, 1990) and Emeric Pressburger (December 5, 1902 to February 5, 1988)

“Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger made some amazing movies. Peeping Tom is an incredible film.”

Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 to October 10, 1985)

“I don’t argue with anybody who says Citizen Kane is so incredible. I agree 100 percent. How did Orson Welles have the guts, mental capacity, writing ability and where to put the camera. Holy [crap]. Brilliant.”

John Ford (February 1, 1894 to August 31, 1973)

“I have very mixed feelings about westerns. Just because of the stereotypical and ridiculous ways that Native Americans were portrayed. That was tricky swallowing that. But then Marty [Scorsese] convinced me to just look at the filmmaking. In these movies, it’s not the message. It’s literally just a trip. His filmmaking style, these characters and all of this stuff—because The Searchers—it’s tough, because it’s a racist movie. John Wayne plays a hardcore racist in it. And he plays it well (laughs), which was worrisome.”

Luis Buñuel (February 22, 1900 to July 29, 1983)

“This guy’s imagination fascinated me—it was out of control.”

Martin Scorsese (November 17, 1942 to present)

“I think Marty is one of my favorite filmmakers of all time. I just think that he is so learned in his craft and his instincts for music are phenomenal. So I don’t know if it gets much better than that.”

Read LIW‘s full interview with Robbie Robertson:

Robbie Robertson’s Testimony

Dave Gil de Rubio
In addition to being editor of theNassau Observer, Dave Gil de Rubio is a regular contributor to Long Island Weekly, specializing in music and sports features. He has won several awards for writing from Press Club of Long Island (PCLI), New York Press Association (NYPA) and Fair Media Council (FMC).

Leave a Reply

Discover

Sponsor

Latest

Hop On A Cure

Zac Brown Band’s John Driskell Hopkins raises money for ALS through foundation On an afternoon before their second Zac Brown Band concert at Jones Beach...

From Where Potato Farms Once Reigned: Mineola Family Shares Piece Of Farming History

The Farmall tractor of 1944 holds a significant place in agricultural history. Produced by International Harvester, it was part of the Farmall H series,...

The Union Restaurant Opens In Eisenhower Park

 Trahanas Hospitality Group today opened The Union, a restaurant offering modern American-cuisine alongside a tantalizing full sushi bar and a rotating selection of specialty...

Undocumented: From Violent Streets To Cardiothoracic Surgeon

“There was a lot of violence,” Dr. Harold Fernandez, a Northwell Health cardiothoracic surgeon said. “In the same streets where I played soccer every...

‘Stars and Stripes’ Gala in Support of Paws of War: Oct. 26

Long Island Elite (LIE), a nonprofit dedicated to fostering the growth and development of local Long Island business professionals and emerging regional leaders, will...

Get Updates Via Email

Enter your email to be updated with all the latest news and special announcements.

x