From Staten Island, New York, Wu-Tang Clan is one of the most critically and commercially successful hip hop groups of all time. Their success and influence is only partially due to their rap music. While Wu-Tang Clan consisted of nine members– RZA, GZA, Raekwon, U-God, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Method Man, Masta Killa, and the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard, from the beginning, their business model was unique. There idea was to establish the Wu-Tang as a force with their debut album and then spin off into as many side projects as possible. In the process, the members would all become individual stars and in turn, dominate the music industry.
Wu-Tang’s 1993 debut, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) was a massive success. Fifteen years later, among the groups members are multi-platinum selling solo artists, multi-platinum record producers, Grammy winners, TV and film stars, screenwriters, product spokespersons, business owners and, major motion picture composers.
Released in 2007, Wu – The Story of the Wu-Tang Clan subtitled “The Official Authorized Story,” has won awards at numerous festivals, including “Best Documentary” at the Hip-Hop Odyssey Film Festival, as well as “Official Selection” at the London Black Film Festival, the American Black Film Festival, the Pan African Film Festival, and the San Paulo International Film Festival. Directed by Gerald Barclay, who grew up with several members of the group and directed their first video for “Protect Ya Neck” (included as a bonus on this DVD) has produced an authorized but far from definitive look at the group.
Surprisingly, members of the Wu-Tang Clan are barely in the documentary, while director Barclay (who also narrates the film), seems to dominate the camera. At the beginning of the film, Barclay spends too much time telling us why he decided to be a director. While I’m sure his family, friends and potential employers might find this interesting, people buying this disc are interested in the Wu-Tang Clang.
What interviews there are featuring members of the group is choppy and badly edited. The section on the 2004 death of Ol’ Dirty Bastard is a real disappoint. There are no comments from other group members, with the exception of a line by RZA at the end. The segment consists of footage of ODB from a celebratory dinner he held the night he was released from prison for drug possession only months before his death. None of the interviewees actually explain exactly what happened to ODB, such as why he was arrested and jailed, or why he was under such pressure to record and tour when he wasn’t ready. Barclay talks about ODB’s mental state at the time, rather than trying to shed any light on why he was pushed back to work so fast. Just looking at that footage from the celebratory dinner makes it pretty clear he wasn’t ready to work yet.
The best part of Wu is the footage of Wu-Tang performing in Hawaii in 1997, just after the release of Wu-Tang Forever. It’s through footage like this, that we get a glimpse of how powerful these guys could be when they got their act together. When it comes to hardcore rap, there have been lots of groups, but no one did it better then Wu-Tang Clan at the height of their powers.
Wu-Tang Clan has influenced and continues to influence the hip hop community. There’s is a significant story worthy of a documentary. Maybe someday someone will make one, because Wu isn’t even close. By far the biggest failure in Wu is that the Wu-Tang Clan is barely in it. There are some performance clips and music videos, and much of its music is heard. The brief interviews with the actual group members themselves, however, are almost all taken from mid-’90s TV appearances. Apart from a few new snippets with the RZA, Raekwon the Chef, and Cappadonna, all of the new interviews here are with associates, hangers-on, and journalists, few of whom are particularly enlightening. Wu – The Story of the Wu-Tang Clan is likely to be disappointing for hardcore fans of the group.
Some of the footage is 1.33:1 Full Frame and the rest in non-anamorphic widescreen. Most of the shots are also taken from different source footage, ranging from ultra-grainy and sloppy, to merely average with the newer interviews. The transfer is never crisp. Overall, the video quality makes the whole experience feel very amateurish.
The audio is offered in English Dolby Digital Stereo. Like the video, this remains rough throughout, never giving that true clarity and dynamic range that you would want for the accompanying Wu-Tang music. Since the interviews are from different periods, clarity is inconsistent there as well. The newest interviews remain balanced and crisp.
Extended Interviews are offered with Raekwon and The Rza, but are hardly substantial. Another interview called “Icelene’s Loss” documents her relationship with ODB.
“Behind the Wu” is a short segment with more comments from Director Barclay.
Lastly, the original “Protect Ya Neck Music” Video is offered.
