when aretha's father stood up in the middle of “Never Grow Old”, grabbed a cloth and wiped the sweat from her face so she could continue singing 😭😭. i'm an absolute sucker for the physical, communal effects of music and this is a terrific document of it. the bizarre, instinctual body movements, the heads shaking in disbelief, the sea of rhythmic expression. at one point james cleveland walks off stage, sits down at a pew, and starts literally weeping. it feels like even the cameras can barely contain the transcendence.

Truly haven’t seen much like this. The soft focus and messy edits only benefit the illusion of feeling like you’re attending. And the titular performance is one of the most powerful I’ve ever seen.

I saw Aretha Franklin at Universal Studios Orlando Mardis Gras in either 8th or 10th grade, and when she ended her hour long set without playing “RESPECT”, some of the crowd booed. May hell exist only for them!

I got nothing constructive to say about this, it's a great record and this is a great show.

One of the best concert docs ever made.

knocked me right off my feet. what else is there to say!!!

At the moment when, about two thirds of the way through Amazing Grace (the song), Reverend James Cleveland stands up from his piano, shuffles over to the front row of seats, pulls a handkerchief from his pocket and then openly weeps into it, I absolutely felt that.

I don’t go to church but this counts

That thing where you break into a laugh sob and chills three or four times during the title song alone.

Pairs nicely with ham and cheesy potatoes.

don’t have to be religious to go to church with aretha.

On believing.

For some it is Passover, for others Easter weekend, and for many it is neither of these. But for me, where I chose to worship was at the Church of Aretha, and you better trust and believe if such a place existed I would gladly be there every week.

My toes were tapping, my hands were clapping (silently, I'm not a monster), and my mouth was pretending to sing as Aretha and the Southern California Community Choir could sing. I felt filled with awe and joy and inspiration. I cried a couple of times because her voice is so moving and magical that it was hard not to be overcome. I envy those who find this in their religion, but I am grateful that music (and film) can bring me to that place.

I felt like Arthetha was communicating God into my presence when I watched this.

A priest and prophet.
The voice of one crying out in the wilderness.
Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make straight his paths.

Every valley. Every valley.
Every valley shall be exalted,
and every mountain and hill laid low.
The crooked straight, and the rough places plain.

Quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est, et sanctum nomen ejus,
Et misericordia ejus a progenie in progenies timentibus eum.
Fecit potentiam in bracchio suo;
Dispersit superbos mente cordis sui.
Deposuit potentes de sede, et exaltavit humiles.
Esurientes implevit bonis, et divites dimisit inanes.
Suscepit Israel, puerum suum, recordatus misericordiae suae,
Sicut locutus est ad patres nostros, Abraham et semini ejus in saecula.

Wholy Holy

come with me, and take in some Church youtu.be/f-TrUNVf0A8

The way Ms. Franklin never missed a beat when her father came up to wipe the sweat off her face.

Spiritually awakening. Aretha’s sermon is musical metamorphosis that heals your soul.

Muszę dokończyć, ale spodziewałem się czegoś więcej niż koncertu.

Pretty magical concert documentary with Aretha Franklin's perfect voice, rich with texture, emotion and sometimes breathtaking poise, smashing out Gospel songs accompanied by some seriously talented musicians and an almighty choir. The raw, textured feel of the photography and camerawork that sometimes stumbles, almost as if the operators are giddy from the music, adds to the feeling of lightning in a bottle, and the intimate venue with many cutaways to the reactions of the enraptured audience makes this something truly special. There are a couple of dynamite split screen moments (this has clearly been edited and assembled with expert care decades after it was originally in the can) that remind you that concerts films can be cinematic.

Very good, though I wish they explained the 'technical issues' that prevented it from being originally released a bit more.. One extra expository "slide" at the beginning would be good enough.

The incomparable Aretha Franklin near the height of her powers.  The process by which the film got made was also interesting.  Not really my kind of music but still a stunning performance at points.

"It's Aretha singing, what more do you need?" I thought going into this. And yes, it is that, but its odd shooting, focused on the delightful chaos surrounding Aretha, ends up framing the singer as an almost supernatural force that everyone revolves around. She almost never speaks in the film -- it takes a while before a scene from a rehearsal is shown with her talking to someone. She merely shows up like some ethereal muse, pulled out of nature to render everyone else present consumed by the spirit.

It is very admirable that Elliott and his team managed to save this concert film. It is hard to say anything concrete about this film, it is best just to experience it yourself. If you want to experience the power of gospel music and Aretha Franklin’s voice, this film is for you.

There were few better ways to end Easter than by letting Aretha take you to church.

The Queen herself. She's undeniable.

So hard to believe this didn't see the light of day for almost half a century because Sydney Pollack filmed it without using a clapper board, which later made it impossible to sync the sound for decades, until somebody finally was thoughtful enough to invent digital editing tools to make it happen. The more I think about that, the more I want to see that story turned into a comedy.

Sydney Pollack films ranked

This is the good shit. Buy the record, watch the documentary, feel the joy.