Year of the Horse: Neil Young and Crazy Horse Live (1997) (Widescreen)

After teaming with rock icon Neil Young for 1995's DEAD MAN, director Jim Jarmusch was moved to make this documentary about Young's historic affiliation with the backing band Crazy Horse. Incorporating old footage with new footage he shot on the band's 1996 European tour, Jarmusch provides a revealing glimpse into the growth and journey of one of rock music's most legendary musical pairings. The band members--Young (guitar/vocals), Ralph Molina (drums/vocals), Frank "Poncho" Sampedro (guitar/keyboards/vocals), and Billy Talbot (bass/vocals)--stress throughout the film that though they might not be the world's most accomplished musicians, when they get together to play, a certain magic happens that years of training cannot compete with. Jarmusch deftly blends his new concert footage (shot on grainy super-8mm) with priceless glimpses from the past--most notably, the band's 1976 tour through the U.K., including a memorable breakfast table scene in which they set fire to a flower vase. One of Jarmusch's most ingenious maneuvers is dissolving from a late 1990s performance of "Like a Hurricane" into a 1976 performance to show just how much the band has grown since their early years. Poncho repeatedly mocks the filmmaker for trying to do the impossible, but YEAR OF THE HORSE nonetheless captures rock music's ability to thrill countless audiences.