Where have all the fearless people gone? Celebrity has plucked them every one. When will we ever learn? If you haven’t figured it out yet, that’s a play on the renowned song "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" made famous by long forgotten Mad magazine whipping posts The Kingston Trio in the 1960s and written by the legendary folk activist Pete Seeger. Who is Pete Seeger, and why did Bruce Springsteen devote an entire album in 2006 to covering Seeger’s music? Well, aside from being one of the most complex and controversial people in 20th Century music, he’s the pioneer of the folk revivalist movement of the 1950s and ‘60s and one of the forefather’s of modern day socio-political activism and environmentalism. Having written or co-written such songs as "Turn, Turn Turn", "If I had a Hammer", "We Shall Overcome", "Where Have All the Flowers Gone", and many more, Seeger wasn’t just a social conscious singer/songwriter, he was an agent of change in a tumultuous era twisted by political and cultural upheaval. Sound familiar?

Now out on DVD, Jim Brown’s 2007 film Pete Seeger: The Power of Song serves up an illuminating and extensive look at the life Pete Seeger that will undeniably make some people stop and question their insatiable hunger for all things extravagant, material, and meaningless. In chronicling the life of one of the greatest singer/songwriters of the last century, Brown throws an expansive cinematic stone that arcs over Seegers life from his days as the author of the definitive guide on how to play a banjo, his early years as an up and coming musician and his transformation into a hardened advocate of First Amendment rights to a political protestor during the Vietnam War, a blacklisted artist relentlessly dogged by the government, and his 17 year ban from television airwaves.

Brown’s film, filled with archival footage and interviews with such artists as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, Bruce Spingsteen, Bonnie Raitt, Tom Paxton, Natalie Maines, and more, is a provocative and challenging look at the life of a man who made no apologies for his controversial views. Although the government tried to break Seeger after subpoenaing him to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1955 for his political association to the Communist party, he refused to testify on the grounds that his political, religious, and personal views are his own business and not those of the State. Subsequently indicted for refusing to testify, Seeger’s stance set the tone for how his life would play out in later years while cementing his legacy as a musical activist who was unafraid to challenge the government and attack the issues contributing to an ill society.

Having recently checked out Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, which is similar in format to the Power of Song, the most affecting thing about the film is that it reminds you of how much the country is lacking serious, unapologetic vocal activists like Peter Seeger. Sure we have outspoken artists in today’s society who speak out on a variety of issues, but it’s not the same when it’s also cool or trendy to project the image. It’s also not the same to hold a weekend benefit concert for a "good cause" and then hop in the limo and go back to a "not in my backyard" lifestyle. What Jim Brown accomplishes with the Power of Song is that viewers will walk away with their own interpretation of a message through the life and music of Pete Seeger that forces people to question right, wrong, and where they stand on the issues today.

As a DVD on Weinstein's new Miriam Collection series, the single disc serves up a few personal and candid special features in the form of three additional scenes from the film, including one from the Beacon Sloop Club’s annual Strawberry Festival to protect the Hudson River (Seeger’s main environmental focus), and a series of five short films from the Seeger family. Although Seeger’s legacy is huge, the short films strip away the veneer to reveal a man, his music, and his family. It’s amazing to think that Seeger had an impact on the likes of Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Springsteen and some of the most significant musicians and songwriters of the last century. Although Seeger hasn’t been as influential and groundbreaking in his later years, Power of Song does justice to a man who was often misunderstood and brings his story to the forefront where it should be in this day and age.