Music documentaries often give a wonderful insight into a band, and for fans, add delightful nuance and context for already beloved songs and music.
While achieving this, Pulp: A Film About Life, Death and Supermarkets doesn’t just rest on band interviews, history and footage alone. It dares to go further, telling the remarkable story of the town of Sheffield where the band’s members grew up.
It’s a medium-sized North England town whose poverty forged a close community of extraordinary characters. And Pulp’s musical persona, captured most recognisably in their biggest hit ‘Common People’, was formed in this town where the hardships of life fostered an indelible spirit—that of the common people. This documentary is as much about their story also.
The film begins with the band planning its final ever show in their hometown. Having left the music scene abruptly in the early 2000’s, Jarvis Cocker (the band’s iconic lead singer) explains that he felt it didn’t end as neatly as it should have, and this final tour was intended to close that chapter in an appropriate way.
As the band prepares for their last concert, their impact on the town is revealed through a series of locals performing their work. The local choir sings ‘Common People’, a young dance troupe practices their moves to ‘Disco 2000’, and in one of the more moving scenes, we encounter residents of a home for the elderly, singing ‘Help the Aged’.
The themes we find coursing through Pulp’s music—musings upon class, sex, teen relationships and indeed the common people—are all explored through the various voices of the town. These songs are very real to them, and the lyrics speak a truth that resonates with many across the globe (as is evidenced by the fans who have travelled far and wide to share in the band’s last show, not to mention the 10 million albums they sold).
The film also enables us to get to know the band’s famous front man, Jarvis Cocker, a little better. We hear about Cocker’s struggle with the limelight once Pulp was no longer just a somewhat anonymous band. Whimsically comparing fame to a nut allergy, Cocker explains it just didn’t agree with him.
He is as charismatic and as timid as you’d expect, but he doesn’t take the light away from the other band members, who each have very interesting stories of their own to tell. Keyboardist Candida Doyle’s health struggles are particularly remarkable and inspiring.
One of the town’s characters, an elderly lady, is asked early in the film whether she likes Pulp. She tells us at the time of their success she used to enjoy listening to both Pulp and Blur (not an obvious choice for a woman of her significant years), but she preferred Pulp because their songs made you think, and she likes songs that make you think.
She’s summed it up perfectly. Looking beyond their musical qualities, which are at times dance inducing and at others just beautiful, Pulp’s songs make you think, specifically about the realities of life. They are poignant and they’re pop—a rare combination indeed. This documentary also succeeds in the rare combination of both fan and band, giving as much credit for the band’s success to the people and the place they call home.
It’s a must see for music fans!
Directed by: Florian Habicht
Rating: TBC
Runtime: 90min
Release Date: Showing at Sydney Film Festival
Reviewer rating: 4/5