Scorsese’s ‘Shine A Light’ documents the unstoppable Rolling Stones

Even among the most Zen of film and music enthusiasts, the idea of the director of the greatest concert film ever (The Last Waltz) tackling the subjects of the most sinister concert film ever (Gimme Shelter) was enough to make heads start popping off, GWAR-style. Perhaps thankfully, then, Shine a Light—Martin Scorsese’s documentary about a 2006 Rolling Stones benefit concert at NYC’s legendary Beacon Theatre—never aims for transcendence, settling instead for really, really good. Featuring a user-friendly setlist of hits and semi-rarities, the overriding impression is of a bunch of legendary deviants content to remain in showman mode. The decision to perform a song titled “Champagne and Reefer” in front of an audience that includes Bill and Hillary does offer a glimpse of their old skeevy Satanic majesty, however.

Save for a few frantic pre-show moments, Scorsese tones down his onscreen persona familiar from previous docs, concentrating instead on putting the camera at absolutely the right place at any given moment. As for the band members themselves, they’re tighter than even a truckload of Botox could account for. Mick at 63 is still, well, Mick, pulling off a series of struts and poses that would look ludicrous on any other human being. Charlie Watts actually smiles at one point. And then there’s Keith Richards. The contrast between his current shambling appearance and his relatively non-dessicated ’60s self glimpsed in archival clips is breathtaking—at this point he resembles a really good Ray Harryhausen special effect—but the simple fact that he’s still up there semi-upright absolutely nails both the total absurdity and utter awesomeness of rock. Watching him grin delightedly after acing a riff is enough to temporarily obliterate all memories of Winger, Sanjaya, and custom ringtones. That old joke about Keith and cockroaches surviving a nuclear war? Believe it.

SHINE A LIGHT DIR. MARTIN SCORSESE | RATED PG-13 | OPENS FRI AT SELECT THEATERS

Tags: Film, martin scorsese, Reviews, shine a light, the rolling stones