THE STORY – Examines the life and legacy of Sly & The Family Stone, the groundbreaking band led by the charismatic and enigmatic Sly Stone. This film captures the rise, reign and subsequent fadeout of one of pop music’s most influential artists, but also shines a light on how Black artists in America navigate the unseen burden that comes with their success. Drawing from his own personal experience and relationships, Questlove tells an empathetic human story about the cost of genius, reframing the way we all engage with pop culture.
THE CAST – N/A
THE TEAM – Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 112 Minutes
It’s impossible to watch “SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)” without thinking of the director’s previous film. Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s directorial debut “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” is a masterpiece that won Best Documentary Feature at the 2021 Oscars (and just so happened to be my favorite film of its year). His follow-up documentary focuses on a more singular subject, namely Sly Stone and his groundbreaking band Sly & The Family Stone. The director uses his now-signature rhythmic filmmaking to tell the story of a trailblazer, spending equal time exploring both his mammoth achievements and frustrating troubles. It may not equal the explosive success of “Summer of Soul,” but “Sly Lives!” is a compelling, if conventionally told, look into the life of and unfairly elevated expectations placed upon a musical visionary.
Like “Summer of Soul,” Questlove uses a mix of archival footage and contemporary interviews with Stone’s collaborators and those he influenced to tell the all-encompassing story of his life. It follows a mostly linear path, which works to effectively chart both the band’s leap into superstardom and Sly’s parallel descent into drug and legal problems. Questlove manages to cull interviews with nearly every living figure who had a hand in the band’s success, except for Sly himself. This gives the film a curious eulogic quality, despite the fact that Sly Stone is still alive at 81 years old. This choice (whether intentional or not on Questlove’s part) also helps the documentary to feel untethered from any potential expectations on the part of its central subject.
Music nerds will be over the moon with in-depth looks into the creation and construction of specific songs, both those by the band and tunes that they inspired. One incredible sequence delves into the brilliant way that their first hit “Dance to the Music,” allows all seven members of the band to have an individual moment in the spotlight, using isolated audio tracks to highlight their contributions. The highlight of the film shows how Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation” was given life by a chopped-up sample from Sly & The Family Stone’s “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin).” Questlove’s direction, Joshua L Pearson’s sharp editing (a welcome “Summer of Soul” reunion), and the crystal clear sound mix all work together to show the band’s essential contributions to creating classics, both of their own making and those of others.
As with most biographical music documentaries, it’s clear that the filmmaker has great affection for their subject. However, this doesn’t mean that Questlove shies away from Stone’s struggles. For instance, he makes a specific point of highlighting the many times that Stone was unforgivably late, or worse, failed to show up to performances at all. The documentary unapologetically shows the effect this lapse in professionalism had on his colleagues who were left to deal with angry audiences.
“Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)” leans on its director’s impeccable vision to tell an essential rock story in a way that doesn’t necessarily break new ground in its narrative choices. But still, it does offer valuable insight into the imbalanced, raised expectations that Black artists face, as discussed in the film by musical legends like D’Angelo and Chaka Khan. This reflective approach works and is clearly an angle that Questlove is personally drawn to, as exhibited by his two films. Here’s hoping he continues this cinematic exploration.
