By Paul Greenberg
SAN DIEGO — “I may not believe in God, I wish to hell I believed in God, but I believe in the devil,” explained the reclusive and nutty musical genius Phil Spector near the end of the strangely captivating and at times disturbing documentary film, The Agony and the Ecstasy of Phil Spector.
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 as a non-performer, he is best known for originating and expertly using the Wall of Sound (a production technique that yielded a dense and layered effect) to produce such memorable and enduring rock and roll classic hits as “Spanish Harlem” (which he co-wrote with Jerry Leiber), “Pretty Angel Eyes,” “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah,” “Be My Baby,” “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” “Unchained Melody,” and “River Deep, Mountain High.” He also produced the Beatles album, “Let It Be.”
The film consists largely of a wide-ranging interview with Spector in his mansion between his two trials for the 2003 shooting death of struggling actress Lana Clarkson. The first trial, in 2007, ended in a declaration of a mistrial by the judge because of a hung jury; the second one, beginning on October 20, 2008, resulted in the jury returning guilty verdicts on April 13, 2009 for second degree murder and using a firearm in the commission of a crime, verdicts which netted Spector a sentence of 19 years to life in the California state prison system, which he is currently serving.
The film also juxtaposes clips from the first trial with archival footage of various groups performing live on TV shows of the 1960’s and 1970’s some of the most unforgettably beautiful music that he ever produced. (I especially enjoyed the live performances, particularly “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin.'”)
During the interview he reminisces about an unhappy childhood where very early on he realized he was a loner. He still misses his dad, who committed suicide when he was 10. He was a poor Jewish kid in a high school made up of mostly middle class and wealthy classmates. He endured physical bullying until he was able to secure protection from the school’s football players in exchange for tutoring them in their studies. As an adult, he surrounded himself with an extensive security detail, surely a remnant of his childhood.
An inordinate amount of time is spent during the interview criticizing others, feeling sorry for and bragging about himself: he criticizes the judge presiding over his trials (“He doesn’t like me and already thinks I’m guilty.”), Brian Wilson’s “Good Vibrations” is “an edit record,” Hitchcock’s Psycho is “an edit movie,” the classmates who ostracized him are “nothing,””All the artists I have worked with can’t live up to my songs on stage except Ike and Tina Turner;” “My artists are interchangeable because the power of art is in the recording,” he can’t understand why others have received honorary doctorates (Bill Cosby, Bob Dylan, and Buddy Holly) when “they haven’t made as much of an impact on American culture and music as I have;” proudly points out that John Lennon once told him that “I (Spector) kept rock and roll alive while Elvis was in the army;” and repeatedly emphasizes that most music producers interpret art not create it, which he does, and he compares himself to Leonardo da Vinci in that both of them create their art from a blank canvas.
The Agony and the Ecstasy of Phil Spector(Vikram Jayanti/USA,UK/2009/102min.) will be shown at Clairemont Reading 14 on Sat., Feb. 11 at 9:00 p.m., UltraStar Mission Valley on Sun., Feb. 12 at 3:30 p.m., and at Clairemont Reading 14 on Wed., Feb. 15 at 1:00 p.m. as part of the 22nd Annual San Diego Jewish Film Festival.
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Greenberg is a freelance writer based in San Diego.