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Topic: Shine a Light
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Stu Jamieson
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 524
From: Buccan, Qld, Australia
Registered: Jan 2008
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posted 05-31-2008 07:16 AM
After executive producing the Blues-lovin' Lightning In A Bottle and directing the made-for-TV Bob Dylan doco, No Direction Home, Martin Scorsese shines his light on the biggest, most everlasting geriatric rock juggernaut in the world, The Rolling Stones. It seems that not only is Marty a highly accomplished auteuristic film maker but he also has a penchant for self-mockery, as does Stones' front man, Mick Jagger. The preamble to this concert movie shows Marty as the stereotypical self-obsessed, uncompromising, neurotic film maker and Jagger as the equally stereotypical die-for-the-fans rock star fussing obsessively over the perfection of every show. They spar back and forth over the set design, the quantity and positioning of cameras and the availability of set lists, all culminating in a very funny punchline mere seconds before the driving riff of Jumping Jack Flash blasts the concert so effectively into life.
And from the first bar we're there; front stage, onstage, backstage and loving every second of this well-oiled machine pulling the noise together into an infectious groove and making it look easy. The sound mix is awesome, though it has been heavily doctored for the film. Every time either Keith Richards or Ronnie Wood is the focus of the shot, their guitar track is wrenched to the front of the audio mix, but for the most part this aural meddling works well. Scorsese takes it a little too far when he dubs in an audible shutter 'click' as an audience member takes a photograph (as if we'd hear that above the concert din!) but this is no doubt just another joke by Marty, a kind of knowing wink to the audience in recognition of the liberties he's taking with the soundtrack.
The film is a celebration of a group of men who have devoted their lives to their art and have had a fabulous time doing it. It's amazing watching these fellas on stage, clearly still digging it after all these years. Jagger is a remarkably charismatic and athletic performer. Keith Richards is also remarkably charismatic and his self-deprecating humour delightfully contrasts his craggy exterior (if only this were evident in his "performance" in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, it would have made that appearance worthwhile). Ronnie Wood is less ostentatious, preferring to let his fret-work do the talking. Charlie Watts looks tired. Joining the band on stage at various points are special guests: Jack White, Christina Aguilera and blues powerhouse Buddy Guy. Witnessing two titanic axe-grinders like Buddy Guy and Keith Richards sizing each other up onstage is a thrilling highlight of the film.
Scorsese intercuts the concert with amusing archival footage showing the current band members in their youth, clowning around with the media and pondering their (then) perceived short careers with the band. The film shows that their sense of fun has not diminished with the passage of time. This is evident in their music: still rocking hard, refusing to "mature" musically, maintaining the energy of youth. Unlike their contemporaries who have "grown up", slowed down and refined their writing in an effort to create "better" songs, the Rolling Stones continue to belt out the rock'n'Roll that they do best.
It's worth saying that I'm not a Rolling Stones fan but I'm not a blues fan either and I loved Lightning In A Bottle. Shine A Light does for the Stones what Lightning did for blues. The flaws are few: one track (Start Me Up) sounds unrehearsed and as such barely hangs together, and a little more archival footage interspersed amongst the concert sections would have satisfied this non-fan but on the whole this is an excellent document of an iconic band and is recommended for fans of any kind of music. In the end there's just enough time for another joke by Marty and a special effects shot (or two) before we head homeward having witnessed something remarkable.
8 out of 10.
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