Shine a Light Review
Posted by Chad Webb on 04.23.2008
The first flawless film of 2008.
Featuring, As Themselves:
Mick Jagger
Ron Wood
Keith Richards
Charlie Watts
Christina Aguilera
Jack White III
Buddy Guy
Bill Clinton
Directed By: Martin Scorsese
Release Date: April 4, 2008
Running Time: 122 minutes
Rated PG-13 for brief strong language, drug references and smoking.
For years I had a friendly argument with my father on who the greatest rock 'n roll band in the world was. He persistently stated that it was the Rolling Stones, and I said it wasn’t. My answer changed from time to time. It could be Kiss, The Beatles, or Led Zeppelin depending on what mood I was in. The point was to disagree with my Dad at all costs. As big a music buff that I am, now I can safely concede that he was right. Martin Scorsese’s Shine a Light documentary concert film on that very foursome is one of the most engrossing and spellbinding in years.
The two night event was filmed at the Beacon Theater in New York City. Legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese assembled an astounding team of cinematographers led by Robert Richardson, 19 to be exact, and the majority have been nominated for, or have won Academy Awards in the past. It all went down in the Fall of 2006, and as many great bands as I’ve seen live, I would have sacrificed just about anything to see this particular show. This is not the first documentary to focus on the Stones. The first was 1968’s Sympathy for the Devil, and the other was the gut wrenching and stirring 1970 classic Gimme Shelter.
The best decision was to shoot this documentary in a smaller venue, and not just cut and past performances from the “Bigger Bang” tour as Mr. Jagger preferred. Stores like Best Buy already sell box sets of DVDs from tours. That has been done, so why not shake things up a bit? That is precisely what Scorsese did. That intimate feeling that courses over and through you as each and every song flies by is not fleeting. For a band that has been selling out shows for almost 5 decades, it might have been tough to rate the top performances of such a broad career. Not anymore. Shine a Light offers the perfect example from start to finish of why these talented men have lasted so damn long. Well, maybe we don’t have Keith Richards figured out quite yet, but that’s another story.
The cameras dance around the band as gracefully, and with as much vigor as Mick Jagger does himself. It really is amazing how a man at his age can act as a bundle of spunk with limitless energy. The beginning of Shine a Light reveals the stage design, preparation, and conversations between the crew in glorious black & white. The song set list does not arrive until the last minute since Jagger is constantly revising it. Of course this is crucial because the director must be aware of the timing, the placement, and positioning of the musicians in order to attain the finest result. Thankfully, we are dealing with veterans. One of the reasons I love band documentaries are for private moments such as Mick editing his song list. The same thought occurred to me during the Beastie Boys experimental film Awesome! I…Shot That where the trio was seen jamming quietly backstage.
It is impossible to not be struck by how brilliantly the band meshes, reacts, and plays off one another for the entire length. Old interviews featuring each member are interwoven throughout the picture. Listening to them reply to questions of whether or not they’d be working together until they are 60 is ironic and intriguing. Guest musicians join the Stones on stage for various tunes. Jack White from the White Stripes and the Raconteurs is fabulous when he drops in, as is the furious and fantastic guitar stylings of Buddy Guy, and the dominant vocals of Christina Aguilera. I can bet the line of talent askking/agreeing to appear was endless, but these three fit, all in special ways.
The music is unbelievable, but I didn’t have to say that. Any praise I express about the catalogue will not be much different than any you have read about for the last half century. One compliment I can afford is the uniqueness and creativity of the selections contained in Shine a Light. This is not merely a greatest hits package. That is not what makes or breaks a documentary concert. Each song has its own attitude, story, and personality when it unravels, and it is the responsibility of the band and the filmmaker to capture that extraordinary journey and translate it to casual ticket buyers admiring the action on a screen. I own several CDs, and do not need to hear what tracks the radio overplays. For those who do care about ingrained numbers like “Satisfaction”, a couple of them pop up.
Shine a Light broke a record for being shown in 93 IMAX screens. Incidentally, I was not able to see this in 3D, but that is fine by me. The message and atmosphere was conveyed clearly. As I sat back, mesmerized by the passion and urgency, the line between movie and concert was blurred. At times, I felt as if I was actually present amongst the crowd, which is important to me since I have never seen the Rolling Stone live as of yet. One could argue that this is nothing more than a pumped up and decorated concert with the name Scorsese attached. While it seems as if more archival footage or history should have been integrated, the truth is Scorsese exposes all he really needs to, and what is not spelled out, is communicated on stage where the Stones have always done the essential talking.
Keith Richards longevity has become something of a myth at this point. Sections are allocated to him, just as they are for Ron Wood and Charlie Watts, but most viewers are contemplating the same thing as he smokes and smirks his way around the stage. How has he survived, and when the dust settles, and life on Earth is non-existent, will he alone be left standing? Well, a version of that question is phrased, but I won’t spoil the answer. As a side bit of trivia, he is wearing a Pirates of the Caribbean costume gift as he belts “You Got the Silver.” After the final cut was being collected, Scorsese had to sit and watch as Richards was arrested for a mistaken passport problem. He failed to record that inconvenient situation. Keith never hesitates to generate news.
Following the mastery of No Direction Home, Martin Scorsese’s bravura effort on Bob Dylan, and The Last Waltz from 1978, he continues to dazzle with the assurance of his intentions around these iconic people. Bob Marley is rumored to be next on his list. The experience of watching Shine a Light was so gratifying and illuminating to the artists essence and core that it reminded me of an equally as magnificent documentary concert, Neil Young: Heart of Gold. The enjoyment that Mick, Ron, Charlie, and Keith share is evident immediately. The symmetry and organic power of the music, as well as the performances are undeniably memorable and elating. That is why this if the first perfect film of 2008.
The 411: Shine a Light, the concert documentary on the Rolling Stones, directed by Martin Scorsese has been in theaters, including IMAX, for under a month now, but it is worth the time and money to see it, whether it be in 3D or in a tiny art house building. This is a marvelous film, featuring riveting interviews, breathtaking performances, and unforgettable music from perhaps the greatest rock band of all-time. I could have written about it for hours, but I did not want to spoil anymore. See it for yourself, and enjoy!
