The Popovich Brothers of South Chicago, a 1978 documentary by Jill Godmilow, is a great look into big city life at the end of the seventies. What was so commonplace to see in the years after the documentary was created seems extremely foreign for audiences in the current period. It is this distance in time and locale (Chicago versus the rest of the United States) that makes this such a must-see. Godmilow focuses in on the trials and tribulations of a musical act (the aforementioned Popovich Brothers) and their marriage of the traditional Serbian way of life with the hustle and bustle of a world-class city.
The amount of history that Godmilow can show viewers by just focusing in on this band is stunning; the act had been together for half a century by this point. The Facets release of this DVD has sharpened up the picture from VHS copies of the release, and contains a number of additional features for viewers to sink their teeth into. This means that there is a listing of different facts about the documentary, while there is an additional short-form film (“The Music Goes On& On”) that provides additional context for the actions that take place during the documentary. Whether individuals are looking to glean information about late 20th-century Chicago, the immigrant experience from the period, or just wish to see a slightly different America than one exists, there is no reason that they should not pick up The Popovich Brothers of South Chicago.
The film works perfectly as something to enjoy dinner with or in a more formalized format (either high school or college); Facets has done everyone a favor by releasing this documentary on the DVD format. Check it out.
Rating: 8.5/10
The Popovich Brothers of South Chicago (DVD) / 2011 Facets / 60 Minutes / http://www.facetsdvd.com /