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Genghis Blues Customer Reviews (1 - 3 of 15 Reviews)

whiney, alcoholic, aging hippie makes ass of himself in another culture
I hate to be the only one to say it. but this movie sucked. It's very strange to me how the premise being about a bluesmen going to Tuva to connect with throat singers was abouts something else entirerly which was not inspirational. This movie is really about the stupidest americans going to another culture and being disrespectful.
The main character paul pena is the biggest complaining ass. He manages to stay pretty drunk throughout his whole time in Tuva, and in one instance hands an unsuspecting Tuvan a joint. Not that i wouldnt have enjoyed doing that as well. But its hard to take since Paul also complains of needing medication and being depressed. But paul isnt the only ass of this documentary. He also has help from his Friends of Tuva and the filmers. if there is any value in watchings this piece of @#*# its in what not to do when you visit other countries. Seriously, one of his friends even got into a fight and almost died there. From that character's earlier appearences in the film, i would have to say that he would have deserved it. The only thing going for this movie is photage of acual Tuvan's singing. Im so sorry they had to meet this guy. If you do decide to get this don't forget to watch the interview with the directors. Thats definately the best part. Ive met some pretty ridiculous film students before, but this two are like charactures of them. if you are interested in seeing other movies where americans act retarded in other countries i would recommend seeing The Journey Of Man.

Fascinating stuff
The overwhelming impression I get from this film is: wow, these guys are alive! They are not just making their way through a boring life, they're out there doing interesting things, doing cool stuff, having adventures & generally living their lives to the fullest. The "they" that I refer to includes just about everybody in the movie, from Paul Pena to the guys travelling with him to Richard Feynman to the Tuvans that Paul meets and befriends.

The documentary gets hazy in spots (I'm still not sure of some of the Tuvan inter-relationships) but does a good job of establishing empathy with Pena, a blind man relying on others in a place far from home. The DVD extras are o.k., the interview with the filmmakers gave some backstory to the movie. I did not watch the film with the filmmakers commentary turned on; a commentary seems kind of contrary to the purpose of a documentary but I suppose you could get more factual info & technical details on the commentary.

a poorly edited documentary; story misses the mark
I agree with the two other negative reviews here and am surprised there aren't more dissenting opinions. This movie made me feel embarrassed for the people in it. The topic would seem to have a lot of potential but the folks who are featured are repulsive and there is not enough in-depth exploration of the art to make it interesting. The story rambled, and the Americans (yes, that includes Paul Pena) behaved so awkwardly it was painful to watch. There was just a low-level vulgar tone throughout the whole movie. In many scenes, Paul totes a beer and looks like an indigent. He comes across as pathetic, socially tone deaf, and totally unworthy of his own talent. Mario was a boor - always coming up with something obnoxious, loud, and totally irrelevant to say. (Why the hell he was invited on the trip is a mystery.) The filmakers did a poor job of setting up the story and getting me to care about it or anyone in it. Don't bother with this one.

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