Davis Guggenheim follows up his smash 2007 Best Doc Oscar winning “An Inconvenient Truth” with this paean to the rock guitar. Unfortunately, neither Jimmy Page, The Edge nor Jack White are Al Gore nor is their message from the great rock guitar god as universal as the destruction of the earth as we know it
On the other hand, maybe their message is as important as the destruction of the earth. It might all depend on one’s point of view. In any event, this film is a must-see for, well, rock guitarists. The rest of the rock guitar lovers in the world would be better off to stick with the recordings. The problem is the same one faced by all rock and roll documentaries; the artists are so bound up in their hyper-lucrative and hyper-venal recording contracts that little of their music is available for use on screen. At least that appears to be the case in this otherwise outstanding film. It is all about the music, not about the philosophy.
The main strength of the movie is also its main weakness; the complexity of the artistic power of the three stars. As good as they are playing their instruments they are relatively hamstrung when it comes to describing what it is they actually do. The fact is none of their fans ever cared about the description of their art anyway. All the fans want is that great sound, the sound that carries them away. Although we got of that, there is never enough to actually enjoy those great guitar riffs. There is only enough to make you want to go out and buy their records. Wait a minute, is that the point?
It terms of the technology, The Edge shows off his special sound effects board, Page shows the old house where he recorded in a high ceilinged living room and Jack White builds a darn good guitar by hammering components on top of an old board. This is fascinating stuff but it is about as far as the film goes in explaining how it is these guys do what they do.
There is some great archival footage of the musicians playing, especially the teenage years of Jimmy Page. Many viewers would pay ten times the price just to watch 97 minutes of that. Such history is priceless. But that is not a big part of the film and does not take up much of the screen time. The frustration comes when the players provide a half dozen bars of this and that and that is the end of it. We want to see the whole thing and dispense with the small talk but that is not the way it works.
For rock music lovers from way back and who grew up listening to Jimmy Page from the Yardbirds forward any film with him is a winner. Unfortunately, we love the music but not necessarily the man. It is great to see him, The Edge and Jack White but what is the point? The film serves mainly to remind us that no matter how great a musician is when it comes to putting his feelings into sound he is usually pretty addled when it comes to putting his sound into words. Maybe that’s why great musicians are great, because they are so inarticulate; they grow up frustrated and need to have an outlet for their feelings so they turn to music.
As much as the public might love listening to their music, great music alone is not a great idea for a film. Read the Yardbirds bandography while listening to their music and you will enjoy the combination much more than watching Jack White shut his kid into the trunk of his T-Bird (is that considered entertainment in Tennessee?). Watching The Edge talk in front of his equipment on the sea shore is painful and Page’s tour of the house recording studio is not much better.
For those who play the instrument, watch this film and learn something about the guitar. Maybe. For the rest of us the money might be better spent investing in a couple classic CDs.
Directed by: Davis Guggenheim
Featuring: Jimmy Page, The Edge and Jack White
Release: August 14, 2009
Your Talkback on this Story