Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Vassilis Vassilikos - Z



Morrison apparently saw the film version of the novel 'Z' (1969) - essentially about a political assassination - during his last few days in Paris... As memory serves me, Courson stated that herself and Morrison had seen Pursued starring Robert Mitchum the day before he died... 'Z' is a interesting reference as its screenwriter, Jorge Semprun, had previously written the screenplay for the Alain Resnais (a close friend of Morrison's in Paris, and one of the last people to see him alive) film The War is Over (1966). One can only assume that Resnais had recommended 'Z' to Morrison (as another friend in Paris - Alan Ronay - had apparently recommended Pursued). Officially released in 1968, a song with the same title The War Is Over, originally sung by Phil Ochs at an anti-Vietnam war rally in L.A. in 1967 inspired by a declaration by Allen Ginsberg in 1966 that the Vietnam war was over, brings to mind the mantra (of sorts) of The Doors track The Unknown Soldier (Morrison having at least met Ginsberg (Probably through Beat poet Michael McClure)): And, it's all over... The war is over...

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