Worth: $18.00
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Cast:
Fabrice Morvan, Rob Pilatus (archive), Frank Farian (archive), Ingrid Segieth, Timbaland
Intro:
For anyone interested in the music industry, or how power can corrupt young, innocent people, Milli Vanilli is essential viewing.
In the entire 64 year history of the Grammys, an award has only ever been revoked… once. The year was 1990, and the act was Milli Vanilli, a Euro R&B duo that got caught in the middle of a media pile-on lip-syncing scandal that ruined their reputation.
Now, a whopping 33 years later, director Luke Korem brings us an intimate look inside the band’s history, as well as the outcry and aftermath of their infamous scandal.
Made in association with MTV Entertainment Studios – the channel was particularly responsible for the band’s cataclysmic rise in popularity in America – this documentary is genuinely fascinating. From its comedic initial premise – which sounds like something Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom would come up with; a band that does not sing their own songs and gains international fame – to the intricate way of showcasing how such a thing affected all those involved, this is a story that has rich and vivid cinematic potential.
A few minutes into the documentary, one of the lead singers, Rob Pilatus, remarks, “You get something, but for that, you make a pact with the devil.” This quote summarises the entire experience of watching the film. It is funny, until you realise the real-world effect the scandal had on those involved, and how the real criminals, music producer Frank Farian and the profiteering record labels, escaped the situation. The documentary highlights the racial prejudice against the singers, the aforementioned Pilatus and Fab Morvan, and how the band’s predominately white audience felt betrayed by two black men who, in their eyes, had committed forgery.
The film also touches on Pilatus’ traumatic childhood, and his untimely death, which Korem and co. do indeed believe was influenced by the effect that the scandal had on his mental health, and how the music industry essentially refused to offer either member of Milli Vanilli a chance to redeem themselves. Morvan had such difficulty finding work in America after the scandal, that he moved to the Netherlands.
For anyone interested in the music industry, or how power can corrupt young, innocent people, Milli Vanilli is essential viewing. It is sometimes hard to watch due to its honesty and openness to tackle genuine issues in the music and fame industry – particularly in the third act – but it is indeed worth your time.
