Review of Shine a Light (2008) by Barb M — 25 Apr 2008

Let me be clear: this film is not a documentary. Anybody expecting a Rolling Stones' documentary will be sorely disappointed. Anybody looking for some fun won't be.

The film starts off in a wonderful style. Scorsese basically plays a cameo throughout the film, but he is only on screen at the start for what is a magnificent prologue to the concert. Scorsese, living up to his neurotic reputation, spends weeks trying to pin down the set list and trying to prepare for his direction. Planning? Well that's just not rock and roll. He gets the list seconds before the concert starts.

And then the rest of the film is spent basking in the glory of the Stones. Their sheer energy and charisma on stage bursts onto the screen with blasts of music and light. The group is made up of four great characters and they are a sheer force of nature. It is extraordinary that Jagger can still do this kind of performance at his age, though that is not as extraordinary as the fact that Keith Richards is still alive. In fact, Richards has some of the best moments in the film. The music is brilliant and the visuals used in the concert magnificent to look at.

Scorsese's use of archive footage is intelligent. It gives a flavour of the people in the band and the social change of which they were a part. But it doesn't give any kind of detailed account of the band's career. As a result the film is trapped between being a record of a concert and a documentary. The concert itself has a couple of problems chief amongst them being that it does drag at times, mainly because you'd rather be in the crowd.

Fans of the Stones will enjoy this, especially if they're unlikely to see the band in the flesh. Great art this isn't but, for those who want a bit of entertainment and think they will enjoy this, trust me, it's a lot of fun.