Martin Scorsese (famous American film director) is a great fan of the blues. In 2003 he decided to produce a series of 7 movies about the blues: its varied styles and roots. Each was directed by a different guy, and Scorsese chose "Feel Like Going Home". It was the first movie from that collection (named "Martin Scorses Presents the Blues") about delta blues and its African roots.
I didn't like the movie that much. It was made in an effective way: interviews and performances were mixed with stories, lots of archival footage, both videos and photos. The thing I dislike is... uhm... it's nothing new. Nothing that interesting. The whole movie was guided by Corey Harris (a fine musician) who travels to West Africa to find how the blues started. Well...
Archival performances were cool, though. You gotta love Son House, Muddy Waters or Leadbelly. Also, John Lee Hooker surprised me with some of his early boogie. Of contemporary artists, Willie King, Corey Harris and Keb' Mo' did well: the latter two played mean "Sweet Home Chicago" on acoustic guitars! Johnny Shines talked a little about Robert Johnson and that's all. That was too much of Africa-related stuff that failed hard at gaining my interest.
Scorsese didn't even try to romanticize the early blues musicians. Didn't tell amazing stories, the whole blues mythology, the devil connection... Nope. It wasn't a typical "talking-heads" documentary you see on TV, but it wasn't that special, and it should be! It was a bit messy and soulless. It didn't make me listen to the blues whole next weekend.
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