Although it can be difficult to detect the influences in the work of
Leonard Cohen, as with all significant artists he was informed by a
far-reaching list of performers, musicians, writers, poets and
philosophies. And, when we look in the right places, his sources reveal
themselves in the songs often considered to have emerged fully formed
from their composers pen. In Leonard Cohens Lonesome Heroes, the scope
and detail of his artistic inspirations are put under the microscope to
quite fascinating result. Cohens first love was poetry and in both the
works of his fellow Canadian Irving Layton, and the Spanish bard
Federico Garcia Lorca, he found the words that moved him to create his
own verse. The beat writers too hit a positive note with Cohen and their
work has lived with him throughout his career. While it may come as no
surprise to find Bob Dylan and Judy Collins included in this film, a
less acknowledged genre of interest to Leonard is country music - but he
was deeply affected by performers such as Hank Williams, Hank Snow and
the country recordings of Ray Charles. And the fact his records have
always achieved greater success in Europe than in North America may be
due in part to his love of the Belgian chansonnier Jacques Brel. These
and many others artists are here shown to have played a crucial role in
the formation of Leonard Cohens muse. But religion and spirituality too
have contributed enormously to Leonards life and music, particularly the
faith into which he was born, Judaism, and his more recent study of
Buddhism, which drove him to spend several years in a monastery
meditating for hours every day. With the aid of rare and classic
performance footage of both Cohen and those he has been influenced by
most, archive interview and film of Leonard, seldom seen photographs,
plus exclusive contributions from those who have worked closely with
him, this fascinating and wholly unique film is all at once informative,
inspiring and eminently watchable, and is bound to delight everyone
with even a hint of interest in the man. The film features new
interviews with Judy Collins; his biographer Ira Nadel; poet and Cohen
academic Stephen Scobie; the man who guided Leonard through the rituals
at the Mount Baldy Buddhist Monastery, Kigen; former Rolling Stone
magazine editor, Anthony De Curtis and many other notable colleagues,
friends and experts.
