Review of Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (2004) by Jangus J — 04 Apr 2009

I am not a fan of Metallica in any way, shape, or form. So it was with some trepidation that I went into the rock doc Some Kind of Monster about the band. But it was not long before I realized that one need not be a fan of the band in order to enjoy the film. Because, despite the word "METALLICA" in red letters on the movie poster, the film isn't about the band much at all, so much as the people behind the band.

Some Kind of Monster chronicles the band's time during the creating of their "St. Anger" album. Their long-time bassist, Jason Newsted, has recently left the band because he felt that he was being held back from doing what he wanted to do. He wanted to work on a side project, but lead singer James Hetfield told him that he had to focus on Metallica first and foremost. It's is Hetfield's control issues (and alcoholism) that provide much of the tension in the band. Drummer Lars Ulrich, the only other original member of the band, is also very headstrong and causes a lot of the friction, while guitarist Kirk Hammett stays mostly on the sidelines.

Despite the aggressive title of the documentary, the "monsters" that are being referred to are the demons that affect everybody in life. The inability to balance work and personal time is especially hard for the biggest band in metal. Instead of the hard-partying, vulgar and angry men that one might expect to see, the film instead shows the band members as human beings, detailing their feelings in a way that is extremely intimate - especially for guys who are often referred to as "rock gods". Despite being gods, they are fallible. From an outsider's perspective, it's easy to see where James and/or Lars are wrong-headed or childish; more intent on getting their own way than on trying to work together. Even a professional therapist that accompanies the band doesn't seem to have much ability to hold them together.

But it's not that the band members are unaware of the light that the film has shown them in. They financed Some Kind of Monster with their own money. They are brave enough, strong enough to put themselves on display for everybody to see. They are willing to show themselves at their worst, and that is truly amazing. The dynamic between the band members is extraordinary. As I said, even if you don't know anything about the band, it's not hard to get wrapped up in the very human story that the film is actually about. When Lars meets up with Dave Mustaine, who used to play guitar with the band until he was kicked out, the way that Mustaine lays out his emotions... the way that he describes his feelings of betrayal, and the way that Lars has no words to provide in response and so they just sit in silence... it's extremely moving.

Also, directors Bruce Sinofsky and Joe Berlinger are experienced filmmakers who have created award-winning films in the past (Paradise Lost, Brother's Keeper). As a film, and not just a rock doc, the movie works wonderfully. There are several incredible moments, such as when James is singing a song called "Temptation" while images from his hard-drinking and partying past are shown on the screen. Sinofsky and Berlinger expertly find these associations and parallels; they include some beatiful imagery (Kirk jogging in the early evening light to the hard rock of "Frantic"); they know when to keep the camera rolling and when to cut.

Of course it must be difficult cutting down two years worth of footage to two and a half hours, and so there are moments that get hard to understand if you don't have some working knowledge of the band's history first. There are issues that Sinofsky and Berlinger themselves have admitted with showing the passage of time: Hetfield's rehab stint lasted nine months, but the real length of time and the strain that it actually put on the other members of the band is not very well documented here.

Those minor squabbles aside, I was definitely surprised with how much I liked Some Kind of Monster and how much it had to offer for even the casual viewer. It's not about the band at all. It is about the men who make up the band and about the weight that fame has heaved onto their shoulders. It's hard to feel completely sorry for them (Lars sells his collection of paintings for an obscene amount of money), but it's nice to understand that despite everything, these are still men who can feel pain and jealousy and betrayal and annoyance and sadness. It's nice to realize that though they are rock stars, they are still human beings.

Some Kind of Monster is great.