Best Documentary Movies of 1971

Documentary on motorcycle racing featuring stars of the sport, including film star Steve McQueen, a racer in his own right.

A documentary about the life and films of director John Ford.

"Joe Cocker - the Rotating Rocker - and his 42 member communal touring company Mad Dogs & Englishmen with the Master of Space and Time Leon Russell - see them perform in the pleasure palaces of America - it's a moving picture" says the classic film poster. See this spectacular rock 'n' roll tour documentary and get a dramatic visual record that captures the spirit of the hippie era with mind-blowing performances, crazy backstage footage, and spaced-out interviews. Supporting cast includes Claudia Lennear, Rita Coolidge, Sherman Jones reciting "Face on the Barroom Floor," and Canina the dog.

A priceless gem from the fine folks at The Internet Archive: Bruce Lee’s only existing television interview, from 1971. Martial arts expert Bruce Lee became world-renowned for his performances in such Kung-fu classics as ENTER THE DRAGON. Now his only interview in English is available. Just after the release of his first film THE BIG BOSS, he spoke in Hong Kong with Canada's premier journalist Pierre Berton. This is the closest one can get to this extraordinary master.

In his now well-known role of narrator of wildlife expeditions, Attenborough accompanies a government-sponsored trek into the central New Guinea highlands to make contact with a group of natives never before seen by Europeans.

Don Marshall follows three pals who fuel up their motorcycles in Denver and hit the great highway for the adventure of a lifetime.A road trip that takes them all the way to Panama. They don't have much cash, but these nomadic spirits still manage to get their thrills while skiing, scuba diving and watching bullfights as they make their way from the States to Central America.

"Touring makes you crazy," Frank Zappa says, explaining that the idea for this film came to him while the Mothers of Invention were touring. The story, interspersed with performances by the Mothers and the Royal Symphony Orchestra, is a tale of life on the road. The band members' main concerns are the search for groupies and the desire to get paid.

Fred Hampton was the leader of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party. This film depicts his brutal murder by the Chicago police and its subsequent investigation, but also documents his activities in organizing the Chapter, his public speeches, and the programs he founded for children during the last eighteen months of his life.

Shot during the summer of 1970 at Fort Knox, Kentucky, Frederick Wiseman’s film Basic Training focuses on a group of men going through infantry training, showing how they are turned from civilians into soldiers. As well as being a unique portrait of the US army at work, the film is also a fascinating snapshot of a time and place at a defining moment in American history.