Review: I originally gave this documentary a four out of five immediately after I watched it. I thought it was great, but thought there were better ones out there. Of course, I woke up the next day and while discussing the film with others, I had a strong desire to change my rating. Though I still think it’s not on the level of Hoop Dreams or Gates of Heaven, Gimme Shelter manages to catch the last vestiges of a decade that emphasized love and peace. But where the movement still has yet to end the Vietnam War or bring President Nixon to account, the three director tandem manages to reveal the flaws and ultimate breakdown in hippie culture. The sad reality of it, is watching Mick Jagger and company endure the reality of their situation. Showing a rough cut of the documentary to them was a brilliant idea and for brief moments you don't see them as rock gods, but men who question their choices in life and look back at what should have been a historical concert with regret. Don't get me wrong, there is some great concert footage in this documentary (including a song by Ike and Tina Turner that makes me wish I had seen them live), but even this footage seems tragic on some level. Unlike Woodstock, the hippie culture appears negatively. People are drugged out, naked or otherwise wasted and instead of praising their desire to experiment of desire for “free love,” we feel as their friends are forced to endure them. Between these music lovers and the band the adore is probably the scariest people you'll ever meet: the Hells Angels. On top of that, they are basically paid in beer. This is sort of an obvious life lesson at this point: don't let drunk bikers mix with drugged out hippies. The scuffles, fights and ultimate death is shocking and terrifying. What's really sad is seeing Mick Jagger try to deal with a situation he knows is completely out of control. The directors opt to show these scenes in long cuts, preferring to let the tape run instead of edit between cuts of the violence, and I am grateful for their minimalist approach to editing here. The cuts draw you into the feelings and emotions of the scene, at times you feel entranced by the music only to be hit by random violence and uneasy tension that never dies. Watching Gimme Shelter is like watching a documentary version of Almost Famous- combining great music, even better performances and a harsh truth that echoes within the minds of viewers way past the film's credits. Though it isn't on the elite tier of other documentaries, it is certainly a film everyone should see. Review by Matthew Abshire Informative: 4- Both recounts the entire incident and records the response of Rolling Stone's members. Entertainment: 5- The combination of live performances and public tragedy will keep your eyes fixed. Technical: 5- subtle techniques, but worth the effort if you can pick up on them. Overall: 5- A concert documentary that portrays more than just music, this is certainly worth watching.
Gimme Shelter
Format: DVD Year: 1970 Running Time: 91 Min Distributor: Maysles Films Producer: Porter Bibb Director: Albert Maysles, David Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin Date Reviewed: 4-30-2007 Story: In December of 1969, four months after Woodstock, the Rolling Stones and Jefferson Airplane gave a free concert in Northern California, east of Oakland at Altamont Speedway. About 300,000 people came, and the organizers put Hell's Angels in charge of security around the stage. Armed with pool cues and knifes, Angels spent the concert beating up spectators, killing at least one. The film intercuts performances, violence, Grace Slick and Mick Jagger's attempts to cool things down, close-ups of young listeners (dancing, drugged, or suffering Angel shock), and a look at the Stones later as they watch concert footage and reflect on what happened. (IMDB)