<p>The life of protest singer Phil Ochs plays out like a silver-screen Western in Kenneth Bowser’s documentary. Through the ’60s and early ’70s, Ochs strummed dissenting folk music with heroic gusto. “Left-wing politics was his career,” says one friend, “but . . . what was in his heart was not left-wing politics at all. It was John Wayne and Gary Cooper.” Ever the Lone Ranger defending America from the union-busting, bigoted, warmongering bandits of the establishment, Ochs rode off into the sunset for good at the too-young age of 35–alone but for despair.</p>
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</a>. This article first appeared in the November-December 2011 issue of <a title=”Utne Reader” href=”https://www.utne.com/subscribe/subscribe.aspx?promocode=EUTDNAZ2″ target=”_blank”>
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Film Review: Counterculture Cowboy
