The Best Folk Music Movies You’ve Never Heard Of
Contents
Check out this list of the best folk music movies you’ve never heard of. From documentaries to feature films, these are the best of the best when it comes to folk music movies.
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Considered by many to be the best Coen Brothers movie, this 2000 classic is set in the Depression-era South and follows the story of three escapees from a Mississippi chain gang who embark on a quest for freedom and treasure. Along the way, they meet up with a cast of colorful characters, including a blind man who’s been led astray by a fraud, a group of sharecroppers fighting for their rights, and a group of sirens who lure sailors to their doom. The soundtrack, which won five Grammy Awards, features traditional folk songs sung by A-list artists like Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch, and Ralph Stanley.
The Ballad of Ramblin’ Jack
If you’re a fan of folk music, then you’ll love The Ballad of Ramblin’ Jack. This movie is a must-see for any fan of the genre.
The Ballad of Ramblin’ Jack is a documentary about the life and times of folk singer Ramblin’ Jack Elliott. The movie chronicles Elliott’s rise to fame in the folk music scene, and his eventual fall from grace.
The Ballad of Ramblin’ Jack is an excellent film that provides an inside look at the folk music scene. If you’re a fan of folk music, then you’ll definitely want to check out this movie.
Sweet Land
Sweet Land is a 2005 American independent period drama film directed by Ali Selim. The screenplay, by Will Allison, is based on the short story “A Thousand Country Roads” by Robert James Waller. The film is set in rural Minnesota in 1920 during the time when the state was being settled.
The story centers on Inge Altenberg (played by Elizabeth Reaser), a young German woman who Ima Baker (played by Lois Smith), an elderly widow, hires to marry her son Olaf (played by Tim Guinee). Inge is not in love with Olaf, but she agrees to the arrangement because she wants to stay in the United States. The two women develop a close bond as they work together on the farm and care for Olaf.
Sweet Land received positive reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes has a 73% approval rating, based on 84 reviews, with an average rating of 6.8/10. The site’s consensus reads: “An old-fashioned romance with modern sensibility, Sweet Land uses its period setting to explore timeless themes of love and loss.” On Metacritic, the film has a score of 67 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating “generally favorable reviews”.
Songcatcher
Released in 2000, Songcatcher is set in the early 20th century and follows a musicologist who travels to the Appalachian mountains to collect traditional songs. The film features plenty of amazing music, performed by the likes of Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, and Tim O’Brien.
The Wind That Shakes the Barley
The Wind That Shakes the Barley is a 2006 film directed by Ken Loach, set during the Irish War of Independence (1919–1922) and the Irish Civil War (1922–1923). The film tells the story of two brothers who join the Irish Republican Army to fight against British forces during the War of Independence. The film won the Palme d’Or at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.
The Wicker Man
The Wicker Man is a 1973 British horror film directed by Robin Hardy and starring Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, and Britt Ekland. The screenplay, written by Anthony Shaffer, is based on the 1967 novel The PrescottProcedure by David P. Schow. The film was shot in camps on the Hebridean island of Lewis and in Plockton, Highlands, Scotland.
The plot revolves around the visit of Police Sergeant Neil Howie to the isolated Scottish island of Summerisle, in search of a missing girl. He discovers that the islanders are pagans who practise a form of Celtic polytheism. Howie is horrified, especially when he learns that they practise human sacrifice as part of their religious rituals.
The film was not well received upon its initial release and was generally panned by critics. However, it has since gained a cult following and is now considered one of the best British films of all time. It was nominated for three BAFTA Awards and won Best British Film at the 1974 ceremony.
The Man Who Would Be King
In 1975, John Boorman directed “The Man Who Would Be King,” a screenplay he co-wrote with Tony Granger, based on the Rudyard Kipling stories “The Man Who Would Be King” and “Fragments of an Ancient Poem.” Sean Connery and Michael Caine star as two British ex-soldiers who set out to conquer a remote kingdom in Afghanistan. The story is an allegory about the British Empire, and the film is considered one of the greatest adventure movies ever made.
The soundtrack was composed by Mick Jagger and recorded by The Rolling Stones. It features traditional folk songs performed by some of the world’s most famous folk musicians, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Odetta, and Richie Havens. The soundtrack is widely considered to be one of the best ever made for a movie.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a film consisting of six vignettes, all of which take place in the American Old West. The main character, Buster Scruggs (played by Tim Blake Nelson), is a singing cowboy who gets himself into all sorts of mischief.
The other vignettes include a bank robbery gone wrong, a traveling salesman who tries to swindle a woman, two prospectors looking for gold, and an outlaw on the run from the law. All of these stories are connected by their use of folk music, which provides both levity and tension throughout the film.
Despite its niche subject matter, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs was well-received by critics and audiences alike. It received a 96% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay.
