No, it’s not “just my imagination”: The Rolling Stones are still rocking hard into their 60s! Martin Scorsese effectively captures the perennial vibrancy of the band’s now 46-year history in his new film, “Shine A Light.”
The film blends interview clips of the Stones in the members’ young, soft-faced days with close-ups of the now wrinkled Mick, Keith, Charlie and Ronnie on stage in 2006 at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. Scorsese gives the audience a visceral closeness to the band that, before now, was expereienced only by their supermodel ex-wives and one-night stands.
A left-wing political slant is constant throughout, reminding the audience of the Rolling Stones’ notorious political controversies through the years that span from Mick and Keith’s imprisonment on marijuana possession in the 1960s to their active involvement in environmental protection today. The cliché “sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll” proves true through every generation of the Stones’ popularity.
As a documentary, “Shine A Light” follows no obvious storyline and lacks significant dialogue. Scorsese relies on the audience’s ability to formulate a main idea given the random sound bytes and video clips from the band’s early years.
The film can come off at times as nothing more than a glorified reunion concert taping. There could have been many more clips from the past. However, the few interviews from years gone by are artfully placed and help the younger viewers understand how the Rolling Stones rose to such globally super-human status.
From avid Stones worshipers to those who have only heard “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” everyone can appreciate the pure spectacular of the film as a whole.