I wasn’t expecting much from Shine a Light, the new Rolling Stone’s concert movie. Why not you ask? Well, first of all when I pay for a concert I go to a concert hall, not a movie theater. Second, I go for the “live” musical experience that brings with it an energy that usually cannot be captured on tape.

I got over my snootiness pretty quickly when I realized the brilliance of concert movies: giving the audience an intimate look at a live performance. You are able to see things about a concert up-close and personal, which is something you can’t get unless you’re willing to shell out the big bucks for front row seats. The film was directed by Martin Scorsese, who does a great job in bringing the concert to life on film. Scorsese goes beyond simply putting a concert on the big screen and matches archival footage with specific musical scenes which gives some historical perspective to the Rolling Stones. I found the best use of this footage was in pairing an interview with a band member and then focusing on that member for the next song. This resulted in making that particular performance more interesting and fun.

Shine a Light, selected theaters and IMAX!

[image from Rolling Stones MySpace]

Filed under: Movies — Pilar @ 8:53 am