Shine a Light (Martin Scorsese, 2008): USA

Reviewed by William Conlin. Viewed on DVD.

What happens when you combine a legendary rock band, a prolific filmmaker and an ex-President? Put those three together and you find cinematic gold. In Martin Scorsese’s new “rockumentary” Shine a Light we are given an in-depth look into a Rolling Stones concert and the fun never stops.

On November 1, 2006, to celebrate President Bill Clinton’s 60th birthday, The Rolling Stones headlined a benefit concert for the former President’s charity. Academy Award winning director Martin Scorsese decided to make a documentary of the concert and with The Rolling Stones’ blessing, he unleashed the full force of his film crew on New York’s historic Beacon Theatre. Featuring appearances by Jack White, Buddy Guy and Christina Aguilera, the concert was a smash hit.

At the beginning of the documentary, one could get the sense that Scorsese is actually mocking the quintessential Rolling Stones documentary Gimme Shelter by showing the drama created in the preparation for the concert, but all the conflict soon subsides and the true focus of the film comes forward: music. Unlike Gimme Shelter, which became more about the tragedy at Altamont, Shine a Light is purely about the concert. Thought Scorsese uses archival footage of The Rolling Stones in interviews throughout their nearly 50 year long career, the film never strays far from the concert.

To properly convey the feeling of the concert, The Beacon Theatre was absolutely canvassed with cameras. The crew actually clashed with the concert organizers over how many cameras were present, but in the end Scorsese won. This allows for the viewer to see more than they could ever possibly see at a real concert. Take it from this avid concertgoer, though there is nothing like a live concert, this film lets you have the ultimate VIP pass.

The Bigger Bang Tour, where this documentary was made, grossed over half a billion dollars, making it the most successful rock tour in history. I feel this film serves an important purpose by documenting this tour for future generations. Though The Rolling Stones are reaching an age where they don’t sound as good as they used too, Shine a Light is a rousing and entertaining documentary and any fan of this great band will surely enjoy this film.