This film is quite remarkable, not simply as a “concert film” or documentary but as a piece of historical cinema. It ultimately plays out as a potent summation of the 60s zeitgeist and leaves you completely shell shocked, which is totally captured/reflected on Mick Jagger’s own expression after he himself has finished watching the film. ‘Gimme Shelter’ sticks in your head for some days after – like all great films do!

There are so many sublime moments captured in this film that allow it to transcend mere documentation, the slow motion sequence during “Love in Vain” of the crowd moving and Mick Jagger grooving away with some beautifully timed superimposition’s, the band sitting silently/contemplatively in the studio listening back to the mix of “Wild Horses” for the first time, the scene is captured perfectly by Albert Maysles brilliantly instinctive “observational cinematography”. Mick Jagger’s self-conscious reactions as he watches himself back on the steinbeck are priceless, and of course the “climatic” moment where he asks where the gun is, they rewind and play it back in slow motion and freeze on it, we are placed in the same position as Mick Jagger, we see the knife clearly and then the gun against the girls crocheted dress and then the rest happens off screen (thankfully) making it all the more powerful and ghastly. When I watched this scene for the first time it totally reminded me of Antonioni’s “Blow Up”, which interestingly Albert Maysles also mentions in the commentary track. The night shot of the people fleeing after the concert, backlit by a spotlight is really stunning, it feels like they are on the moon or somewhere alien, it totally captures/illustrates the disorientation, the aftermath of the concert and the use of silence here is perfect.

The commentary track on the Criterion disc is well worth listening to, there are some great insights to be gleaned from it that help to clear up some facts and dispel some of the sensationalized and grossly slanted “reportage” and rumors that have circulated since the event.

Oh yeah, the remastered music sounds bloody good too!