The World According to John Coltrane, directed by Robert Palmer moves chronologically.
It shows interviews with musicians who worked with Coltrane, such as Rashied Ali, Jimmy Heath, Roscoe Mitchell, and Wayne Shorter, and film clips of live performances.
Shown, too, is a performance by the classic quartet of Coltrane, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones, and McCoy Tyner at a jazz festival, and the quartet playing with Eric Dolphy.
Coltrane's live performance of "Alabama" is shown in full.
The documentary omits commentary by scholars in favor of a narrated chronology of his life, interviews with his contemporaries, and live film clips.