The rock-doc is back, but it’s not a new breed looking to create the next The Last Waltz or Stop Making Sense – it’s the guys who have already been there and set up shop. This year has already seen the release of the first ever live-action 3-D movie, U23D, and the Sundance premier of the Neil Young-directed Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young documentary, Déjà Vu. Now, two titans of their respective genres team up for Shine a Light, a film pairing the Rolling Stones with director Martin Scorsese (The Departed).
Shine a Light is culled from two 2006 Stones shows at the 2,800-seat Beacon Theatre in New York. Not only were Scorsese and dozens of cameras on the scene to film the shows, but the director even had the Beacon’s stage redesigned to accommodate the band – not that they were appreciative of it. Early in the film, singer Mick Jagger looks at a mock-up of the stage design disgustedly and says, “I don’t know why the stage is designed that way. All of it – that’s Marty.” We then cut to a scene of Scorsese, who uncertainly states, “I hope they like it.”
Similar to this scene, Shine a Light looks in the beginning as if it’s going to be a documentary, with Scorsese juxtaposing himself nervously preparing for the show with the Stones’ cool collectedness. He spends the first 15 minutes of the film fretting about whether he’s going to see the show’s set list before the band starts playing. He looks tense in the control room just moments before the Stones take the stage. Then, as the lights dim, the crowd erupts and the band bursts into “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” – and Scorsese finally gets his set list. With that, any notion that this was going to be a documentary flies out the window.
Although there are bits of archival footage throughout the film, what follows is almost purely a concert film. And the Stones – Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood – reign supreme for nearly two hours, performing a variety of songs that date back to the band’s inception.
The show has a very loose feel, especially on Exile On Main Street’s “All Down the Line,” where Jagger toys with the cameras and crowd, running up and around the stage. When the camera hits drummer Watts at the end of the song, he looks directly into it and lets out a big sigh of relief.
The coolest moments come when the Stones share the stage with a guest. First up is Jack White of The White Stripes and The Raconteurs. Jagger and White strap on the acoustic guitars for a duet proper: “Loving Cup.” Scorsese focuses the camera on the pair as Jagger and White trade lines – it’s one of the night’s most phenomenal moments.
The band also shines on the older, slower songs. Jagger introduces “As Tears Go By,” a rarity from 1965, by saying “This is an old song, one of the first we ever wrote. In fact, we gave it to someone else because we were slightly embarrassed by it.” But the band is all but embarrassed during the song’s performance – it’s a slower pace that benefits the band.
The single coolest shot in the entire film comes when blues guitar legend Buddy Guy sits in on Muddy Waters’s “Champagne and Reefer.” While Guy’s vocals are almost overpowering Jagger’s – Jagger isn’t exactly the strongest singer, especially at this age – Richards is seen smoking a cigarette while playing. Then, Scorsese cuts to a profile of Richards’ face as he blows out the smoke from his cigarette, and there’s only one word to describe how it looks: Badass.
But other than the guest stars, there’s nothing particularly shocking in Shine a Light. The Stones run through most of the classics, including “Start Me Up” and “Sympathy for the Devil” and Scorsese picks some cool shots to keep the film visually interesting.
It’s worth checking out if you’re a Stones or Scorsese fan, but it doesn’t bring anything new or interesting to merit drawing non-fans in. Instead, the film is a testament to the staying power of the band.
Near the end of the film, Scorsese interjects archival footage of Dick Cavett’s 1972 interview with the band. Cavett asks Jagger if he could see himself performing with the Stones at 60.
“Oh yeah, easily,” Jagger replies.
Turns out, he wasn’t kidding.
rudi.greenberg@gmail.com
RATING: 3.5 STARS OUT OF 5
