‘Joan Baez: I Am A Noise’ Review – A Remarkable Tale Of Transparency

There are many facets to the legendary Joan Baez – the new documentary Joan Baez: I Am A Noise proves that. Like most artists, they want to be known for something more than their day job. The difference is that Joan Baez lived through the golden age of activism—the civil rights movement. Ms. Baez used her celebrity, along with Bob Dylan, at civil rights marches and rallies throughout the 1960s, preaching non-violence.

This may be standard fare for some, but that’s because we have been spoiled. This isn’t a concert film like Madonna’s Truth or Dare or those “intimate” behind-the-scenes Netflix films about Jennifer Lopez or Taylor Swift. This is because directors Miri Navasky, Maeve O’Boyle, and Karen O’Connor (yes, there are three of them) seamlessly weave together Ms. Baez’s experiences. As the film opens with the Gabriel García Márquez quote, “Human beings have three lives: public, private, and secret,” we are given a 360-degree view. A tapestry, if you will, of one woman’s remarkable life

The narrative film follows Baez, connecting times from various points in her life of how society made her feel different. Coming from Mexican and Scottish descent, Baez dealt with the bigotry of being Mexican-American. Often having to deal with comments about looking other than her white friends. As the film progresses, using her Quaker upbringing in public she begins to join a revolution for equality.

Then there is Ms. Baez’s private and often secret family and personal life. There’s the heartbreaking revelation of her sibling’s jealousy. Even a one-year romance with a “Kimmie” in the middle of a sexual revolution when the subject of same-sex relationships was not just taboo but was considered illegal. (Many fail to realize sodomy laws made homosexuality a crime, and Illinois was the first state to repeal it in 1962.)

At the heart of Joan Baez: I Am A Noise is how the counterculture movement shaped a generation of Americans, including Ms. Baez—a time of change when youth recognized the generational gap in the social norms issue. Just a decade prior, doo-wop, crooners, and classic country dominated the charts. In the following decades, Ms. Baez was an integral part of the return of an artistic voice when music used to mean something.

The creative team behind the documentary produces some extraordinary archival footage. The documentary begins Ms. Baez’s lineage story, which can be passed on to generations. From her romance with Bob Dylan to walking alongside James Bal. The film feels full of life because it was a life well-traveled. This includes the folk-singer hero traveling the world; seeing inequality and poverty as a global problem; even marching in 1964 in Washington, D.C., and performing “We Shall Overcome” at only 22 years of age.

However, what’s most impressive is the down-to-earth and honest nature. The transparency is fully displayed when Baez talks in the present day or when her voice is captured with narration. There’s a remarkable, well-rounded, three-dimensional portrait being drawn for the viewer. Frankly, that’s where most documentaries falter. That’s because it’s a story that can be told when someone has come full circle. That doesn’t mean Baez feels confident. She still has insecurities and anxieties about her journey.

The film shouldn’t be treated with a simple, intimate tagline. Imagine finding yourself during a time of significant change when many are still going through the identity vs. role confusion stage. One that the trauma of emotional or physical abuse can delay. (This is documented in a New Yorker article at the hands of her father.)

This is one woman’s life, lived through generations of social movements and finally finding some peace. Even forgiveness can be found only with time. Joan Baez: I Am A Noise is an emotional and educational journey that has the power to change people’s perceptions of the mental health burden that comes with social injustices.

All because of her remarkable transparency.

Joan Baez: I Am A Noise is currently playing in select theaters courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. 

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