Mathieu Amalric presents three hours of John Zorn

THE “WORLD’S” OPINION – MUST SEE

To imagine the liberating side of the three documentaries that Mathieu Amalric filmed over the long term (since 2010) with New York musician John Zorn – and it is rumored that a fourth is on the way – we must start by eliminating everything that is usually found in a film dedicated to a star: either a bunch of witnesses illuminating the thousand facets of the artist, one revealing the never-told anecdote about his childhood, another the original photo of a legendary date, and we would add a twist on private life which is so complicated when we are at such a summit.

We can guarantee that Zorn I, Zorn II And Zorn III contain absolutely none of these ingredients. No critical analysis, embracing the entire range of the career of the saxophonist, composer and improviser, no confidence from the person now aged 70, casting a retrospective glance over the drummer’s shoulder.

But then, what is there to see during these three hours of Zorn? Well… sound, research, concentration, bursts, letting go, and then, suddenly, a moment of happiness when the saxophonist and his group feel that they have found their flight. All this is already a lot.

Efficient assembly

Mathieu Amalric captures what comes, takes the risk of accidents, does not gloss over, in effective editing, the holes and blanks. He lets silence or repetitions invade the space. It must also be said that Zorn fills the screen with his energy and his infectious laughter, and his big eyes which let in all the joy. There are plans like this in abundance.

We feel that Amalric had fun holding the camera to capture these stage explosions as best he could. The first opus, Zorn I (2010-2016), develops a group portrait, while the second (2016-2018), more intimate, gets closer to the creator. Barbara Hannigan, the Canadian soprano and companion of Amalric, bursts into the third part (2018-2022), having accepted as a challenge Zorn’s invitation to perform an explosive score for piano (Stephen Gosling) and voice. It will be a different kind of perfection than the one she usually demands of herself, she assumes.

The most beautiful moments of this “Zornie” journey follow, made up of stubborn research to find the right texture, hold the note for the right amount of time, or accelerate the tempo to enter the contemporary register. Breathtaking.