THE Doors’ status as a “cult band” is probably unrivalled by any other despite the group going their separate ways in 1973 and their iconic frontman dying aged 27 in 1971.
The fact that the controversial music has lived on with such fervour owes largely to the mystery that surrounds its members and the backdrop to Jim Morrison’s lyrics.
But with When You’re Strange, director Tom DeCillo has – for the first time – put unseen footage and images of Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robbie Krieger on the big screen.
The format is intentionally basic and blunt – live film rolls of The Doors on and off stage – without any updated interviews with the surviving heroes of the band.
But as the bold American director explained to Soldier, that is precisely the point.
“I took a look at all the footage and my concept was to just use it as it was – it’s so amazing it speaks for itself,” said DeCillo.
“People tend to always make The Doors something that they’re not, in one direction or another. I wanted to take this stuff of legend and bullshit and let them see the real thing.”
The film gives an unprecedented view into the people behind the men on stage before and after serving up genre-defining performances to entranced audiences.
The isolation of Jim Morrison driving his car solo in the desert is quite a different prospect to the charismatic singer-cum-poet serenading a crowd of thousands.
“I think the audience will see the band as quite a bit more complex and ultimately more human,” added DeCillo.
There will no doubt be comparisons drawn between this film and Oliver Stone’s 1991 biopic The Doors, but according to DeCillo only his offering tells the true story.
“Oliver Stone made an interesting film, I just don’t think it was about The Doors,” he said.
The mass appeal of When You’re Strange was immediately increased when its creators enlisted Hollywood royalty in the form of Johnny Depp to carry out the narration and DeCillo was openly grateful to the A-lister.
“He immediately said yes when he was asked to narrate the film and rather than just read a script he went off and started sending me stuff line by line, sometimes with five takes for each line,” he said.
“His input added a definite credibility to it.”
Without current “talking heads” interviews with Manzarek, Densmore or Krieger, some fans might argue that an opportunity has been missed, but DeCillo insists viewers will leave enlightened.
“I am proud that I took a risky approach to just use the original footage – I had to just let the film fill in all the information,” he explained.
“After viewing it, the band felt I had done them a great honour by just allowing the footage to show them as they actually were.”
Despite a large focus on Morrison, the film also pays credit to those who played on in the wake of his out-of-control spiral towards death.
The Doors took their title from the Aldous Huxley line “if the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is”. DeCillo asks his audience to follow those words to get the most out of his creation.
“I say the same thing, come with your eyes open and you will see something,” he said.
“If you are so rigid that you cannot accept new ideas, what’s the point?”
When You’re Strange is out now on Blu-Ray and DVD.
