Rockabilly Ruhrpott - DVD

Film: What began in the 50s as a kind of rebellious youth culture, is still lived today by a broad scene with full passion. Especially in the Ruhr area, Germany's largest metropolitan area, the Rockabilly scene has remained constant since the 70s and has defied all trends and mainstream phenomena. Christin Feldmann and Claudia Bach allow the viewer with their documentary Rockabilly Ruhrpott a very entertaining and sympathetic insight into a subculture that many outsiders associate only with the music of Elvis Presley - if they can classify Rockabilly correctly at all.

Rockabilly Ruhrpott lets followers of the scene have their say, telling what brought them to Rockabilly, what connects the music with the Ruhrpott and how the scene came from the USA to Germany in the first place. The viewer gets to know the difference between the Rockabilly scene and the Teddies, learns that real Rockabillies are more than just the love of music, that hairstyles, cars, outfits and tattoos also play an important role. But most of all, the interviewees make it clear that the scene is now a very tolerant community. While in the past followers of other scenes were reminded with their fists that Rockabilly is the only true way of life, today everyone is equally accepted and welcomed at concerts and meetings.

Interesting are also the remarks of Sari, the German Pin Up, who tells how the Pin Up movement, which also originated in the 50s, has come closer and closer to the Rockabilly scene over the years and that both now almost belong together. Amusing are also the comments of the interviewees about Dick Brave, about whom one must of course grumble in the scene, but at whose concerts one then meets all acquaintances from the scene again.

The nice thing about the documentary is that it does not comment, but simply observes. So this worth seeing mixture of interviews, concert excerpts and footage from various events allows the viewer to dive into this scene for an hour, which presents itself as extremely passionate, partly refreshingly self-deprecating and very life-affirming. A beautiful documentary that can be warmly recommended not only to music lovers and rockabillies.

Picture + Sound: The very clean, pleasantly sharp picture and the coherent Dolby Digital 5.1 mix are on a very good level for a documentary. While the interviews are mixed with good intelligibility, the rockabilly music in particular comes through very well. Good!

Extras: The DVD has clips of Denim without a Cause (approx. 10 mins) and the Foggy Mountain Rockers (approx. 3 mins), as well as a promotional clip from Dynamite Magazine (approx. 1 min), and also the 17 minute short film Gary Hawk about a very special father-son relationship and the revitalising effect of rockabilly. Good!

Conclusion: Rockabilly Ruhrpott is an entertaining documentary that offers an entertaining look into a subculture that maintains the attitude to life of the 50s even in the new millennium and is much more than just a community of loyal Elvis fans. A very likeable documentary, which shows up on DVD in good technical quality and has a few worth seeing extras to offer. Recommended

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp