Top Rated Music Movies on Kanopy - Page 27

Life on the Mississippi

1980

Life on the Mississippi

1980
9
Most mid-19th-century Mississippi River boys dreamed of occupying that pinnacle of power and glamour, the pilot house of a riverboat. In a riot of local color, this film tells how, unlike many, Sam's dream comes true. A callow teenager, he talks the tough but consummate Horace Bixby into making him his apprentice on the "Paul Jones," eventually following him to the much finer "Aleck Scott." Meanwhile, he is already spinning fantastic yarns to everyone from awe-struck lads ashore, to fellow "cub pilots", to young lady passengers who catch his eye. Things temporarily take a turn for the worse when Bixby must attend a meeting and leave Sam to work under Brown, a dour tyrant with a grudge against him.
Tokyo Techno Tribes

2002

Tokyo Techno Tribes

2002
6
Japanese cyber youth cultures have developed through the imaginative and novel use of technology. Underlying social, cultural and economic trends are examined such as Japan's unique, isolated island culture, the post-economic boom recession and changing attitudes towards the role of the corporation in work and career attitudes.
Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake

2019

Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake

2019
10
This thrilling, audacious, and witty production is perhaps still best known for replacing the female corps-de-ballet with a menacing male ensemble, which shattered convention, turned tradition upside down and took the dance world by storm. Filmed Live at Sadler's Wells.
One Note at a Time

2016

One Note at a Time

2016
6
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, music can save the soul of the city, but can the musicians save themselves?
Fire Music

2021

Fire Music

2021
7
Although the free jazz movement of the 1960s and '70s was much maligned in some jazz circles, its pioneers - brilliant talents like Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Sun Ra, Albert Ayler, and John Coltrane - are today acknowledged as central to the evolution of jazz as America's most innovative art form. FIRE MUSIC showcases the architects of a movement whose radical brand of improvisation pushed harmonic and rhythmic boundaries, and produced landmark albums like Coleman's Free Jazz: A Collective Inspiration and Coltrane's Ascension. A rich trove of archival footage conjures the 1960s jazz scene along with incisive reflections by critic Gary Giddins and a number of the movement's key players.
Green Bush

2005

Green Bush

2005
7
An Australian Aboriginal DJ realizes that his job at the country radio station is about more than just playing music.
Conduct! Every Move Counts

2016

Conduct! Every Move Counts

2016
7
'At the end of the day, it remains a secret why some can conduct and others can’t', Sir Georg Solti once said. CONDUCT! explores this secret. The struggle of five young artists for success at the International Conductors Competition in Frankfurt provides real-life drama that tests not only musical abilities but, above all, characters. CONDUCT! explores the secret of conducting with a unique intensity that culminates in a great showdown at Frankfurt’s Opera.
Philip Glass: Satyagraha

1983

Philip Glass: Satyagraha

1983
10
This luminous, visionary opera tells the story of how Mahatma Gandhi developed the philosophy of satyagraha, nonviolent active resistance, as a political revolutionary tool to fight oppression, connecting his lifework to three historical figures who advanced his philosophy: the celebrated Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, the great Indian poet and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore and the heroic American civil rights leader Martin Luther King. The libretto is comprised of passages from “The Bhagavad-Gita,” India’s greatest philosophical epic, and perfectly complements Glass’ ravishing score, mysteriously transporting the audience with a serene power and an all-encompassing sense of peace.
Echoes 'Cross the Tracks

2012

Echoes 'Cross the Tracks

2012
6
A powerful documentary starring Morgan Freeman about the genesis of The Blues in the South and the music spreading around the world. Morgan Freeman shares his story of his experience of growing up in Clarksdale, Mississippi and his love for the Blues.
Marc and Ann

1991

Marc and Ann

1991
4
Legendary filmmaker Les Blank's toe-tapping film treats us to a portrait of a musical Louisiana couple committed to celebrating and preserving Cajun culture.
James Brown - The Man, The Music & The Message

2014

James Brown - The Man, The Music & The Message

2014
8
The Godfather of Soul tells his life story and features his greatest live performances.
No Cheating, Darling

1973

No Cheating, Darling

1973
4
For some time now, the residents of the placid little village of Sonnenthal talk only about one topic: Football! The ambitious mayor wants to promote the Sonnenthal team to the district league at any price because this success would also boost his own popularity. But he did not expect the resistance of the new head of school, Barbara, who is heavily annoyed by the one-sided focus. To bring Sonnenthal′s men and the mayor in particular to their senses, Barbara sets up a women′s football team that soon turns out to be a serious competition for the men′s team.
Camelot

1982

Camelot

1982
8
Shot live from the Winter Garden Theatre in New York City, this presentation of the 1980 Broadway revival of the beloved Lerner & Loewe classic follows King Arthur, who founds the kingdom of Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table. Their goal: fight for justice and right, but Arthur only sees his ideal crumble when his wife Guenevere falls in love with his favorite knight, Sir Lancelot.
Return to Gorée

2007

Return to Gorée

2007
9
Because jazz is the miraculous product of the horror of slavery, Youssou N'Dour returned to the slave route and the music they created, in search of new inspiration. Accompanied by the blind Swiss pianist Moncef Genoud and the Director of the Gorée House of Slaves Museum, Joseph N'Diaye, the Senegalese singer wrote new songs during this initiatory voyage which took him to the USA then to Europe. At Gorée, an island just off the Senegalese coast and symbol of the slave trade, his memorable concert marked the end of this quest and the start of a new challenge: making today's generation aware of the tragedy of slavery, the importance of not forgetting and the need for reconciliation.
Forbidden City, U.S.A.

1989

Forbidden City, U.S.A.

1989
6
A documentary about Forbidden City, a San Francisco Chinese-American nightclub open from the 1930s to the 1960s.
This Ain't No Mouse Music!

2014

This Ain't No Mouse Music!

2014
7
Loving, music-filled tribute to Chris Strachwitz, guiding force behind legendary roots music label Arhoolie Records. With Ry Cooder, Clifton Chenier, Richard Thompson, Flaco Jiménez and a new generation of roots musicians.
Mighty Uke

2011

Mighty Uke

2011
8
Mighty Uke travels the world to discover why so many people of different nations, cultures, ages and musical tastes are turning to the ukulele to express themselves, connect with the past, and with each other.
The Hard Part Begins

1973

The Hard Part Begins

1973
8
The ups and downs in the life of a country-western singer.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Accor Arena, Paris - ARTE Concert

2025

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Accor Arena, Paris - ARTE Concert

2025
The triumphant return of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds to France bring with them a full stage show brimming with elegant fury and mystical fervour.
Jacqueline du Pré: Genius and Tragedy

2025

Jacqueline du Pré: Genius and Tragedy

2025
Yo-Yo Ma narrates a documentary about the remarkable cellist Jacqueline du Pré, whose life and career were cut short by multiple sclerosis.