Oil City Confidential

Colour, HD CAM
United Kingdom, 2009, 106 min
Section: Another View

About the film

This film about the small-town British rock band Dr. Feelgood isn’t your ordinary music documentary. Director Julien Temple takes rock music not only as his main focus of interest, but also as a prism through which to examine the social and cultural environment of the 1970s. This is the third instalment of his famous trilogy about the British rock music scene and, as in its previous parts, here, too, everything is conveyed via Temple’s compelling cinematic language. Archive footage and reminiscences from the main players are edited alongside a meaty rhythm and shot in unusual, muted colours. The film maps out the history of a band with working-class roots and – chiefly through the recollections of charismatic lead guitarist Wilko Johnson – investigates the vibrant music scene of the day. The piece is characterised by its anarchic energy and takes its place irreverently alongside Britain’s best music documentaries.

About the director

Julien Temple (b. 1953, London) is a leading documentarist  who has long been involved in the music scene. He created the film compilation which was screened during Sex Pistols concerts in the early days of their career. Temple also shot his feature-length documentary debut about this legendary band, The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle (1979). He became a sought-after director of music clips and has worked with the likes of The Rolling Stones, David Bowie and Neil Young. He was the artist behind Rolling Stones Live at the Max (1991), the first feature-length concert film made specially for IMAX. Oil City Confidential is the third part of a music trilogy which also includes the films The Filth and the Fury (1999) about the Sex Pistols, and The Future Is Unwritten (2006) on Joe Strummer, also screened at KVIFF. He debuted in feature film with the musical Absolute Beginners (1986) starring David Bowie and Patsy Kensit.