The US vs. John Lennon

John Lennon (1940-1980) was first and foremost a rock and roll star, but he also became a man with a message. This film is about that side of him; it is constructed of a wealth of archival material and new interviews with his widow Yoko Ono and supporters and opponents of yesteryear, from George McGovern to G. Gordon Liddy. It's not completely clear how seriously people took this Beatle as a political activist back then, but the moment Lennon thought he was taking himself too seriously, he made a joke to lighten the situation. If he had to sing songs, Lennon thought, then he could sing "Give Peace a Chance" just as easily as "I Wanna Hold Your Hand." And he did just that, against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. Adherents of President Nixon didn't like it one bit, and when Lennon decided to make New York his home and got on friendly terms with radical activists like Jerry Rubin and Bobby Seale, the FBI started keeping its eye on him. After he had successfully fought for the release of John Sinclair and Angela Davis, the American immigration authority began long and drawn-out proceedings to deport him, but ultimately gave him a permanent green card.