disgusting, overrated, pointless

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

As a serious lifelong Lenny Bruce fan (I'm actually old enough to remember seeing him "live" on Steve Allen) I don't think there is any treatment, film or documentary that comes close to Mr. Weide's labor of love "Swear to Tell the Truth."That includes Fosse & Dustin Hoffman's famous collaborative work on the film "Lenny." See this documentary, then go back and watch the film "Lenny" and you will see what I mean. The film "Lenny" is well intentioned and well done, but it can't carry the jock of Weide's "Swear to Tell the Truth.""Swear to Tell the Truth" is the first work I've seen that correctly shows in detail and explains THE REAL REASONs why Lenny Bruce was hunted and persecuted by the authorities all the way to his eventual death. It wasn't "dirty words" in his act: the true cause of his persecution was his ruthless-yet-funny satires of the Catholic Church (I am catholic btw) and (initially) a major blunder on Bruce's part - when he blew the whistle publicly on a bribe he was offered to get out of a minor drug bust. Bruce is actually shown doing both on film in the documentary.Weide really did his research and homework (supposedly 12 years worth). There are scenes and interviews with Lenny, his family, and close friends of Lenny's that even I have never seen before.If it's so great, WHERE CAN I SEE IT? you ask:Here is the BAD NEWS: This documentary as of the date of this post, will likely NEVER become available on DVD. I personally contacted Mr. Weide's Whyaduck Production company to find out why (a duck).The reason?According to Whyaduck, there are copyright hassles / issues with the excellent jazz soundtrack (includes early Miles Davis and others). I was told due to these unresolved licensing squabbles (translated "greed" imo), we may never see the release on DVD of this excellent film. What a shame. Luckily I taped it (VHS) and I still go back and watch it all the time: never bored, always fascinated and finding new treats with each viewing.Luckily it was a 1998 Oscar nominee for Best Documentary, so it is sometimes (rarely) still shown on cable. Your best bet is to search for it occasionally on your PBS, Sundance, or HBO listings. Per Mr. Weide, it costs ~ 4 times as much to show it on regular cable (HBO / Sundance) due to commercial licensing fees, as opposed to PBS.Thank you Mr. Weide for this excellent documentary, and I share your frustration. Greed is keeping this work of art from the public.

if it isn't, already, and, along with the "Lenny Bruce Performance Film", may become known as the definitive video overview of the life and work of this iconic, visionary, controversial and seminal American artist, satirist and comedian.Perhaps the one important event in Bruce's life, overlooked by, or perhaps deliberately excluded from, the film, is the near-fatal injury suffered by Bruce's wife, Honey, in a car accident. It would have been good to see interviewed in the film, people that knew Bruce, that were heard in Larry Josephson's "Modern Times" radio documentary, "Lenny Bruce Remembered", such as Orin Keepnews, Sid Mark, Mort Sahl, Jean Shepherd, Albert Goldman, and Sherman Block, but I suppose one cannot have everything, and it IS Bob Weide's film, not Larry Josephson's. We DO hear from Bruce's mother, wife, and last girlfriend, Lotus Weinstock, in the film, as we do in the radio documentary.It also would have been good to see and hear Bob Dylan talk about the real-life incident he mentions in his song "Lenny Bruce" :"I rode with him, in a taxi once, only a mile and a half, seemed like it took a couple of months" if indeed that did happen, but perhaps that was between the two of them only.I will close by quoting from the end of Bruce's autobiography. I think the words are Dick Schaap's :"Finally, one last four-letter word concerning Lenny Bruce : Dead. At forty. That's obscene."

Lenny Bruce is an iconic figure from post-war America. He is viewed today, both as a martyr in the struggle for freedom of expression, and as a giant in stand-up comedy showing the way to an entire generation of comedians that followed him. "Lenny Bruce: Dare to Tell the Truth" fleshes out the icon and presents Lenny as a human being. Following the chronology of Lenny's life from WWII till his premature death in 1965, the film is enhanced by interviews with Lenny's mother, ex-wife, daughter and associates. No new facts about Lenny's life or motivations are revealed in the movie; it's all stuff we already know. Nonetheless, it is a very well made documentary, presenting Lenny as a real person, and for that reason should be viewed by people interested in this influential American.

I loved this documentary.I have been a fan of Lenny Bruce for years, and I was impressed that the film made the point that Bruce was a pioneer, and without him, other comedians such as George Carlin, Richard Pryor (and later, Chris Rock and others) might not have had the careers they did.After Bruce's conviction in New York for obscenity, no other comedian has been prosecuted. He set the trend, and his suffering smoothed the path for others.I would have liked a little more archival footage showing more fully why Lenny Bruce was such an innovator, but this is a minor gripe.All in all, a great film. Should be seen by anyone who is concerned about the the influence of the conservative right wing in the USA, and their attempts to stifle free speech, even to this day.