Watch Lenny Bruce: Swear to Tell the Truth For Free

one of my absolute favorites!

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

That Lenny Bruce represents one of the most important cultural figures in the twentieth century can be verified by a scan of the "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band" cover art. Lenny's there, honored by the Beatles as one of their chief inspirations. Modern-day-comedy, from Richard Pryor to Bill Hicks to any episode of "South Park" would be unimaginable if Bruce had not first blazed the trail. His bitter attacks on hypocritical moralism, segregation, and sexual double-standards were as far ahead of his comic contemporaries as James Joyce was ahead of his fellow novelists. This documentary is the best film on Lenny, even besting the excellent Dustin Hoffman biopic, which failed to capture Bruce's incredible wit. Robert DeNiro's voice-over provides a nice counterpoint to the comedy footage and the interviews are revealing. The editing is seamless, enhancing the intimate cinematography. Hopefully, this will soon be released on DVD.

I caught this documentary on the Sundance channel, knowing Lenny Bruce very well as being influential (I listened to one of his later recordings) though not knowing a whole lot on why he became the most controversial comic of the pre-Vietnam era. What I learned was that Lenny Bruce's story - of rising to fame as a satirist and stand-up comic after working in strip joints, and then being put down by the legal machinations of the United States government - is both hilarious and engrossing, and here and there a (necessary) downer. What the system pulled over on Lenny was a travesty, and the mere fact that (technically) the charge of swearing/indecency still stands decades later is an insult to, if any, meaning by the constitution. When Lenny does do his act in the film, one who's never heard most of his material can be drawn in, the style in which he lays his bits is extraordinary. If one had to describe this film to someone who hasn't seen it, or perhaps might not know who Lenny Bruce is (most of my friends don't, though they know his descendents like George Carlin), 'Lenny Bruce: Swear to Tell the Truth' is about a terrific wordsmith who's self-esteem got crushed to oblivion & suicide by those who felt that they had the right over another person's language. It also includes some good narration by old Bobby De Niro. Grade: (strong) A

It mat be a cliche to call documentaries like this "fascinating" and "informative" but this one is. Rather than simply hearing a bunch of people tell you how funny, insightful and human Lenny Bruce was, you can judge for yourself from the extensive film clips shown here, ones you are unlikely to have seen anywhere else.One of the big revelations here is how well-rounded a talent Bruce was. He was not just a one (sick)-joke performer, as archive footage of some of his early TV appearances show. Another clip has him singing a song of his own composition, "All Alone," worked into material concerning his breakup with his beloved wife Honey. She, Bruce's mother Sally Marr, and other friends contribute many colorful reminiscences. Yet another bit of footage has Bruce holding a sidewalk news conference naming names of those who suggested that he could bribe a judge in one of his many obscenity trials. You would swear this amazing scene couldn't possibly have been an impromptu session, yet it was.The talk of Bruce and freedom of speech is not just a lot of liberal breastbeating; what happened to him was a disgrace. That he was prosecuted so many times for obscenity is the true outrage here. The documentary might go a little easy on his drug use but that really isn't what the man was all about anyway. Watch this film and find out.

Great documentary of a great comedian. Like Jesus Christ, he suffered for no reason. Great interviews with his mother, wife, and friends. This documentary shows what Lenny could have done before being cut short by our so-called 'judicial' system. Obviously, he would have been a great actor. Everything was right for Lenny until the 'man' took him down. I don't mean for that to sound trite, but that is exactly what happened to this genius. I guess you could say he carved the road for the comedians of today, but none really come close to his insight and charisma. This documentary will show you what 'could have been' had it not been for the forces that would destroy him. An amazing artist with no guilt. A truly free American. An American Tragedy.