Have You Got It Yet? The Story of Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd

The story of Syd Barrett may be rock and roll's biggest tragedy, in the traditional definition of the word: the ruination of a person by way of a moral flaw, weakness, or inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances. Syd was a fragile soul who aspired to share with the world his unique art, until he discovered how much more important the second word is in the phrase "show business". The band he formed, Pink Floyd, would never have become what they were without him, but they couldn't become what they were with him. Pink Floyd's story is well charted, but unless you are a big Floyd fan, Barrett's story isn't as prominent. It almost exists as folklore, and has been twisted by rumor, assumption, and innuendo over the years. Have You Got It Yet seeks to tell the story, once and for all, for the biggest audience possible, with the voices of all (still alive) who were there; former bandmates, old friends, business partners, ex-girlfriends, and family members. It is through them that the most complete story possible of the life of Syd Barrett is told (if you're wondering why he isn't part of it, he has been deceased since 2006). For the most part, it is a standard documentary; occasional narration, some archival footage, and talking head shots. There are moments, however, where the influence of Storm Thorgerson -- who did the covers for almost every Pink Floyd album from 1967-1977 and quite a few more you're familiar with, and who was co-director for this -- comes out. Whimsical sequences of a Syd-like man jumping into a pool filled with flowers, for instance, bringing to mind the cover of Wish You Were Here, Pink Floyd's tribute to Syd. These very Floydian divergences help keep the documentary from feeling stale. The movie is, in a way, a lot like the centerpiece of that album, the 25-minute, 9-part suite "Shine On You Crazy Diamond". YouTuber Mic The Snare described the song's tribute to Syd as the most authentic tribute possible, as it painted a picture of a whole person; the good times, the bad, the things they loved and the things they hated about him. HYGIY does much the same; Syd's artistry and spritely, artistic innocence is balanced by a mercurial temper and a refusal to accept help when it was offered. Make no mistake, this is a eulogy, and a celebration of the man's contributions to music, but it isn't a deification. It does discuss his mental illness, but neither passes judgment or plays armchair psychologist. I'd say this is a must-watch for Floyd fans, but therein lies the rub. Have You Got It Yet tells a story that, if you're more than a casual fan of Pink Floyd, you know the story already. HYGIY will provide little more than some extra historical context. It's certainly interesting, but the little bits and pieces you may not have heard are hardly revelatory, and do little more than add to the legacy us hardcore Floyd fans already know. If you're a casual fan only, or unfamiliar with them, I can't see how this will appeal at all. The movie doesn't go very far in giving context to Syd's near-mythic status. It expects you know some of it already and are looking to fill in some gaps ... but after almost sixty years, and many of the relevant people dead, and the subject himself a recluse for the last 30 years of his life, any gaps in knowledge or insight aren't going to be filled now. It's still worth a watch if you're a Floyd fan, as there's some fun archival footage, and of course, to hear a lot of Syd music. I'm not sure there's anything here if you're not a Floyd fan, though.