Film shows Townes Van Zandt, High, Low and In Between

Be Here to Love Me (DVD)
Rake Films

It's got to be hard to do a documentary about an artist who puts so much of himself into his songs. How much deeper into the psyche of Townes Van Zandt, for example, can you go than listening to "Flyin' Shoes"?

It must have been a daunting task indeed, but director/producer Margaret Brown just nails it with "Be Here to Love Me," which is available on DVD.

I don't often watch documentaries about musicians, even ones I love, mostly because they're usually little more than glorified live concert footage. But BHTLM pulls off the near-impossible: It beautifully weaves the artist's songs and words with the words of others and the perfect array of images to present a breathtakingly full picture of Townes Van Zandt. It doesn't so much tell you about his life as it shows you. And I think a lot of the success of this film is owed to Brown's dedication to presenting the full story. Sure, Townes was great -- we all know that. And he was the proverbial tortured soul -- we know that, too. But there's a lot of in between, and that's the territory BHTLM mines best.

The commentary from those who knew Townes -- his artist friends (including Guy Clark, Joe Ely, Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson), his hometown friends and even his family members -- paint a nuanced portrait, warts and all. Brown keeps away as much as possible from the tired "talking head" presentation. Many interviews are conducted in bars, and the setting (and possibly the refreshments) very obviously contributes to the warmth (and frequent humor) of the storytelling. Other tales are told in the car on the way to a particularly meaningful site -- another setting perfect for inspiring intimacy in speaking.

There are no technical bells and whistles in this movie -- nothing blows up, there are no fancy graphics. And there's no narration of any kind (a relief). But there are artistic touches that subtly entertain the eye as well as move the story along. A quote from a vintage Townes interview about motel living and the difference between loneliness and aloneness is ended with a camera panning inside a shabby, dated motel room until the shot comes to rest on a TV. The screen flickers to life, handing off the story to a clip from an interview with Townes on the TV show "Nashville Now." When Townes' sister and others are speaking about the electroshock therapy the singer underwent in his 20s, a manic succession of grainy home movies flashes on the screen, going black just before you learn that the treatment erased Townes' childhood memories.

One of the best effects in the movie is as natural as they come -- Townes' children talking about their father. There's no lapse into pop psychology here -- the children (young adults now, save for one) just share memories of their father, the man, as well as shedding some light on how the added role of their father as famed songwriter affected family life. Everyone in the movie -- family and friends and business associates -- speaks of Townes with obvious love, but nothing is sugarcoated, not by them, and not by the filmmakers. Several interviews (and one performance) are shown where Townes is not at his best, when his substance abuse is getting the better of him. But it all just adds poignancy and validity to the movie. You're reminded that Townes was above all a real person, with real problems alongside his real gift.

Whether you can quote every Townes Van Zandt song from beginning to end or you're just getting to know this late, great songwriter, "Be Here To Love Me" informs as well as entertains. You come away from the movie feeling as though you've made -- and lost -- a great, if sometimes trying, friend.