Review of Gimme Shelter (1986) by Davey M — 24 Aug 2007
Horrifying. Riveting. Mesmerizing. One of the most compelling and brilliantly made documentaries about anything ever. Just as extreme conservatism negates agency, so the total, initially idealistic liberalism depicted in Gimme Shelter lead to uncontrollable lawlessness, with an ironically identical conclusion.
Peace and love give way to hate and death. Freedom is forfeited to chaos, and the concert itself is a cinematic equivalent of Bosch's vision of hell. Jagger's boyish naivete turns over the course of ninety minutes into the bitter sorrow of a man, and suddenly I know why the Stones' post-60s work has always felt a lot safer and more restrained to me--it was.
An exceptional and important film.
This review of Gimme Shelter (1986) was written by Davey M on 24 Aug 2007.
Gimme Shelter has generally received positive reviews.
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