SXSW 2014: THE CASE OF THE THREE SIDED DREAM Review

Release Date:   TBD
MPAA Rating:   NR
Director:   Adam Kahan
FilmPulse Score:   6/10

The Case of the Three Sided Dream marks the documentary debut of filmmaker Adam Kahan, in which he focuses his attention on the life and music of virtuoso jazz musician Rahsaan Roland Kirk; virtuoso actually does not even begin to describe the man’s talents, but Kahan tries his best, through talking head interviews with bandmates, friends and family members, to convey the scope of Kirk’s abilities and his obsession with sound.

Rahsaan Roland Kirk’s obsession with sound stems from the fact that the man was blinded at birth, when the nurse applied too much silver nitrate into his eyes, effectively scorching them. However, this blindness did little to hamper Kirk’s musical abilities, going from child prodigy to the visionary jazz musician, as he’s known today; or black classical musician, as Kirk puts it.

A blind man playing the saxophone is impressive enough, Kirk has the distinction of being able to play up to three woodwinds simultaneously, all the various instruments hanging from his neck like a one-man woodwind section. If there’s not enough room in his mouth, he’s been known to play the recorder with his nose.  His main instruments included the tenor saxophone, the stritch and the manzello, but he also an exceptional flute, clarinet, and trumpet player.

Kahan does a magnificent job of showcasing Kirk’s talents with a wealth of archival footage including live performances on BBC, New York public television, jazz festivals and a defiant performance on the Ed Sullivan Show. The director also makes use of Kirk’s penchant for playful banter and political musings during his live performances, occasionally utilizing animated sequences, bringing color and life to Kirk’s thoughts while the bandmates and family members provide anecdotes and backstory through the standard talking head format.

The most interesting anecdote to come out of the talking head interviews comes from trombonist bandmate Steve Turre as he discusses Kirk’s circular breathing ability. Circular breathing involves quickly inhaling while exhaling at the same time; if mastered, a musician could hold a note for an extended period of time…conceivably, an unlimited period. To prove this point and Kirk’s ability to circular breathe, Kahan follows this anecdote with the impassioned performance of Volunteered Slavery at the Montreux Jazz Festival where Kirk plays for minutes on end without, seemingly, taking a breath.

While Kahan presents an incredibly compelling overview of Rahsaan Roland Kirk’s musical career, mostly through live performance footage, the compelling nature of the documentary extends from the fact that Kirk, himself, is incredibly compelling. The impressive footage contained within The Case of Three Sided Dream can be easily found on Youtube in various clips.