This feature-length documentary weaves together three creative strands: The songwriter and his times; the song's dramatic journey from record label reject to chart-topping hit; and moving testimonies from major recording artists for whom ‘Hallelujah’ has become a personal touchtone.
Cohen is mostly presented as an insightful, aloof, wandering poet, creating monotonously sung, bleak and bitter tunes that were mostly inspired by either religion, the human condition or women he loved and lost. A film that works as both a retrospective for Cohen and an examination of the power of music.