When the documentary Ain’t In it for My Health begins, we are rather abruptly thrown into the world of Levon Helm, the former drummer/vocalist of The Band.
We find the chain-smoking singer from Arkansas in a very different period of his life than where we left him over 30 years ago in Scorsese’s iconic film The Last Waltz. However, with his solo record Dirt Farmer receiving a Grammy nomination at the start of the film, and the fact he continues to tour, on the surface it might seem nothing much has changed at all. But as Dirt Farmer is his first record in 25 years, we’re naturally curious as what has brought him to this point: cancer, bankruptcy and years of drug use being the key themes of this period.
For the most part, director Jacob Hatley assumes that his audience is already knowledgeable of Levon’s history, treating the film as a peak into a small period of Levon’s life, rather than as a defining biography. Levon tends not to talk too much about the past – though Billy Bob Thornton manages to get a few words out of him, at Levon’s annual “Midnight Ramble” – an event (and fundraiser) he holds for his fans at his home in Woodstock.
Though vague on the subject, he’s also clearly effected by the beef between he and Robbie Robertson. But that seems fair enough: from his point of view, Robertson turned his back on the rest of the members of The Band, taking all the credit and money for the work. Alongside his nomination for his solo record, The Band are set to be presented with a lifetime achievement award, and it’s because of this Levon decides not to attend the award show, not wanting to have anything to do with The Band selling more albums.
As we focus on his current life, I find the film should have been called “What happens when the party ends..”, because for a man who briefly had it all in terms of the rock and roll lifestyle, it becomes fascinating to see what happens at the end of that road. It doesn’t look the most pleasing. But there’s a quote from the film about the music industry that has stuck with me: “It’s not a career choice you make if you’re worried about how long you’re going to live.” Yet indeed, unlike many from his period, Levon Helm still lives on.
In its assumption of knowledge, and a move away from the biography mainframe, the film struggles to maintain a precise story arch – though Hatley uses the Grammy nomination as a good start and end point for the film: from nomination to the day the award is announced. More than anything else, we are provided a fascinating insight into a man who by all accounts is lucky to still be breathing, let alone recording and producing more material.
Though in scenes where Helm suffers from medical examinations, and we see his voice deteriorate to the point of inaudibility, we are shown just how destructive the rock and roll lifestyle can be. But it seems to me that Levon, alongside many of his contemporaries, wouldn’t have it any other way. That’s rock and roll, baby.
Review Score: 6.5/10
