Rolling Stones' Crossfire Hurricane, London Film Festival 2012, review
Crossfire Hurricane is a highly entertaining, pungently nostalgic documentary about the career of “the world’s greatest rock and roll band”, writes Neil McCormick.
By Neil McCormick3:41PM BST 18 Oct

The title, lifted from Jumping Jack Flash, is a neat evocation of the fast-moving, jump-cutting style of a highly entertaining, pungently nostalgic documentary about the career of “the world’s greatest rock and roll band” (a catchphrase helpfully uttered on camera by a fan). Cramming 50 years into two hours, however, the sense is not so much of weathering terrifying winds as being swept along by surging waves. Contextualising their career with cleverly sourced archive footage, Crossfire Hurricane presents the Stones not as masters of their own destiny but as pop culture surfers battling their way through a series of storms.
In smartly conceived vignettes constructed around thrilling live performances wittily juxtaposed with other period footage, we see the Stones buffeted by the sexually explosive female hysteria of the Sixties era and a more violently aggressive male anti-establishment riotousness. The big moments and transitions are each given their own song and distinct filmic mood, carrying the viewer from the scruffy innocence of their early years in screaming theatres (where the Stones often look terrified by the frenzy of their fans) to the showbusiness swagger of their 1980s stadium incarnation, when, as Jagger observes “we’d become an institution and we hadn’t even turned 40”.
We are treated to a dreamily psychedelic take on the infamous Redland’s bust, an emotionally affecting account of the death of Brian Jones set to No Expectations and a genuinely scary depiction of their murderous free concert at Altamont, in which Charlie Watts memorably compares their Hell’s Angels security as “like asking the Nazi party to sort out the front of the auditorium”.
Time and again, we hear one or other of the Stones describe events as being out of their control. Keith Richards talks of “unstoppable momentum” and being “swept along”, Watts of “just being dragged down the river”. The more analytical Mick Jagger considers how the Stones became a personification of “the violence of the time”, like actors stepping into roles that were tailor-made for them.
Crossfire Hurricane is about as close as you could get to a Stones-eye view of the madness and glory that has surrounded them since they first stepped on stage together. If it ends anti-climactically in the stadium years, there is, at least, a kind of poignant resonance in Jagger’s off-camera acknowledgement that “you can’t be young forever”.
As you would expect from an official documentary, Crossfire Hurricane never takes a particularly critical or controversial perspective. But neither is it a whitewash, with Jagger shown snorting coke from a switchblade in the opening minutes, and the 1970s passing in a dizzying blur of drugs, drink and women, a period Jagger characterises as “an ill-disciplined, hedonistic binge”.
But all the while, beating on the soundtrack, elevating these characters above their surreal and often sordid circumstances is the music – rocking, raw, wild, shamanistically free and deeply felt.
Jagger is the one who makes the most sense of it, but it is Richards, as ever, who evokes the real spirit of the Stones, describing Midnight Rambler as a “making an opera out of the blues” and gurgling wondrously about nights when “you don’t even wanna touch the strings cos they are playing themselves. And anyway, they’re too hot.” If you are a Stones fan, this film is going to blow you away

[www.telegraph.co.uk]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-10-19 21:14 by proudmary.

I do hope it delivers the goods. Looking forward to it.

yea,but only 2 hours? I hope dvd got some more.

Can't wait to see it!

p.s. I read the film's runtime was 150 minutes - so it's over 2 hours - but I get it what he means.

150mins is more like it..........

Yes but there will be red carpet footage tonight I believe.

Atm here in Heerlen they're showing Texas footage without Jaggers voicetrack. Weird.

It should be on in a few mins.

I won't keep you updated on the setlist though. Tour's not on yet.

All kinds of unknown celebs arriving now AND the STONES!

Bill Wyman arrives...

This sounds great.

Firt pics at the red carpet in Leicester Square!!
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Carlitos

Mick Taylor is here. Just saw liam gallagher in the loo.

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Braincapers
Mick Taylor is here. Just saw liam gallagher in the loo.

We need photos!

GUARDIAN REVIEW

Crossfire Hurricane - review

Latest Rolling Stones documentary has to tackle the problem of how to retell a story that's been told so many times before


Michael Hann
The Guardian, Thursday 18 October 2012 14.09 EDT


For all the control freakery, the money chasing, the internecine warfare between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the Rolling Stones have always been the most open of groups – as Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant told the Guardian recently: "All you knew was that the Stones got all the press, and we sold a shitload of records."

That leaves Crossfire Hurricane, the official documentary celebration of the Stones' 50th anniversary, with two problems. How do you retell a story that's been told so many times before? And how do you compete with the already extant films about the group – Gimme Shelter, the Maysles brothers' account of the 1969 US tour that ended with the disastrous Altamont concert; @#$%& Blues the rarely seen Robert Franks film that captured their 1972 tour, warts, needles, pills and all; and especially the peerless 25x5, the career-spanning biography first shown on BBC2 in 1989?

Director Brett Morgen's answer is to try to show what it was like being a Stone, using the voices of the group – including those who have departed – as an unseen offstage chorus, commenting on the archive footage we are watching. So film of teenage girls invading stages in the mid-1960s is accompanied by a mordant Bill Wyman explaining how "I could see the water flowing between the seats … it was a flood of urine." But he – and doubtless the band, given that Jagger is a producer and the other three are executive producers – care not for what it means to be a Rolling Stone now, when Richards can blithely announce that a payment of £16m for four shows next month "sounds about right".

By showing us the group only as young men, the film invites us to buy into the myth of a band of brothers, fighting against the world. That it is a myth is revealed by Jagger, explaining how the group were positioned by Andrew Loog Oldham, their first manager, as the anti-Beatles, the darkness to the Liverpudlians' light, and how being bad then became a self-fulfilling prophecy, leading to the 1967 arrest of Jagger and Richards on drug charges.

That "cemented our relationship with the public," Jagger suggests, while Richards claims: "They gave me a licence … That was when we really put the black hat on. Before that it was off-grey."

Richards, always, is the romantic of the group, publicly at least; Jagger the realist. Hence, when the guitarist talks about fleeing England for fear of the law in the early 1970s, Jagger's voice quickly counters: "Keith always says he was chased out of England by the cops. He may believe that but it's not actually true. The band left because of money."

Crossfire Hurricane is at its strongest tracing the period of the band's greatness, from the mid-60s to the mid-70s. Footage from those other films is used judiciously, so one gets a sense of what the great travelling circus of the 1972 tour was like from excerpts from @#$%& Blues, and just a few minutes of Gimme Shelter is necessary to paint Altamont – at which 18-year-old Meredith Hunter was murdered by the Hells Angels hired to provide security – as a rock'n'roll update of Bruegel's The Triumph of Death.

Oddly, for a film intended to mark 50 years of the group, Crossfire Hurricane treats the Stones' career as having to all intents and purposes ended as the 1970s drifted into the 80s. Richards' 1977 arrest for heroin possession in Toronto is the last significant event discussed, and the band members note how this was the period in which they went from being the group everyone hated to the one everyone loved. The last thing we see before the closing credits roll is aerial footage of the 1981 Still Life tour. In a way, it's entirely accurate: from this point, the Stones became little more than a money-making machine, dragged round the world every couple of years on the back of increasingly dismal albums.

Now, there's no doubt if you want to make a film celebrating The World's Greatest Rock'n'Roll Band, cutting off 30 years ago is the right thing to do. Especially if they're the ones paying for it. But how much more fascinating Crossfire Hurricane might have been had it told the story of the years since, of Jagger and Richards at each other's throats, of the band trying and failing to once more rebottle the lightning of their first two decades, of how one's identity changes as one is redefined in the public mind from moral threat to national treasure.

In its own way, Crossfire Hurricane is just like one of those Stones albums of the last three decades: it's fun, it has terrific moments, but in the end it pales in comparison with earlier triumphs.

omg

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duke richardson
omg

Wow, no autopen!

......what's on the table ...an orange ...some faggs and a remote



ROCKMAN

marlboro lights... what a wuss.

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Natlanta
marlboro lights... what a wuss.

Whaddaya sayin'? That he can't be a man because he doesn't some the same cigarettes as you?

www.rsundercover.eu

As I posted in the Sticky "Red Carpet" thread when I first saw the review there: 20 years creating the legacy, 30 years celebrating the legacy.

I'll certainly look forward to owning it on DVD at some point, which is when I will first view it, likely next year. But the review in The Guardian mentions that the credits roll during the Still Life tour--that's when the Stones, as a telling window on their perception of their career, stop being proud of what they created. Then, after a falling out period that doesn't find them reconciling until 1989, they become what we know them to be today--the traveling company of Vegas-style minstrels playing the same old songs the same old way for the same old people, with anything done since 1981 given the slightest passing nod, written off as largely forgettable.

Like Charlie said in 1989: 5 years working, 15 years hanging around. And with Crossfire Hurricane being like a typical concert setlist [that is, most of its time spent celebrating the early years], any fan can draw the following conclusion: 20 years creating, 30 years [and counting] celebrating....

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Rockman
......what's on the table ...an orange ...some faggs and a remote

Vodka and orange juice in the glass, Keith?

They're signing the 16 million pound contract, that's why a) they're choosing to remain sober, and b) they're not using an autopen for the job. Or maybe Keith is bidding for some items at Ron's auction.

keith looks comical, who ever thought he would end up with less hair than charlie?
alot less btw

I actually like this shot of Ronnie and Keith, the natural, relaxed feel of it and the comfortable looking room. But the amount of white light on Keith's head makes it a little bit scary.

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TooTough

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Braincapers
Mick Taylor is here. Just saw liam gallagher in the loo.

We need photos!

No photos of Liam. I did take a few pics but I had the worst seat in the house up in the circle so they didn't come out very well but here they are.

Premiere pics

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duke richardson
omg

omg indeed.

Crossfire Hurricane: The Rolling Stones Look Back
Greg Wetherall

Can you sometimes get exactly what you want? The Rolling Stones turn the clock back on 50 years and open up the vaults. With mixed results.

In recent years, the artists of rock 'n' roll's golden period have begun to open up and look back, becoming less precious about exposure and mystique. Dylan has stepped out of the shadows and written his own book, Chronicles, and even allowed Martin Scorsese to interview him for his documentary, No Direction Home. Led Zeppelin have just wrapped up and readied for release footage of their celebratory one-off 2007 reunion show filmed at London's O2, Neil Young has penned his memoirs, as has Pete Townshend. Long mocked because of their advancing age (grey hair and wisdom is anathema to the rock music crowd), the Rolling Stones plow on. Interestingly, if blues or jazz were their trade, age would not be an issue. However, it is not, and it is. Undeterred, these baby boomers are still rocking out and -- if the latest single "Doom and Gloom" is anything to go by -- still capable of producing the goods. It's quite possibly their strongest single in years.

It is high time therefore for a look back on an illustrious career that has famously had more than its fair share of sex, drugs and rock n' roll. However, those looking for a Beatles Anthology-esque examination will be disappointed. This is more ramshackle than that, much like the band themselves. This is a concise one-off film of only 118 minutes. Considering it took director, Brett Morgan, four months to wade through the archive footage (with assistance from co-producer, Mick Jagger), it is a shame that he hasn't been minded to create a more sprawling work, befitting of the Stones' lengthy career. In fact, the documentary ends abruptly at around 1977, and offers nothing after this date, save for closing credit live footage of Exile On Main Street track "All Down The Line" lifted from the 2008 film, Shine A Light.

Opening with color backstage footage and a live rendition of "Street Fighting Man," attention soon turns to the early days, and the maelstrom that consisted of live performance in the early and mid-60s for the Rolling Stones, with the incessant screaming and stage invasions. Emphasis is firmly placed on what it must have been like within this vortex, having to deal with a rapid ascent and devotional teenage girls (England) and boys (the rest of the world).

Whilst discussing the early period, coverage is given in a frank manner as to the band's feeling about the demise of original band member, Brian Jones. Whilst acknowledging his talent, it turns out that the band felt a degree of inevitability over his eventual death. Even though an element of mystery hangs over the drowning, Jones' relationship with drugs is well-known (Godard's film, Sympathy for the Devil, shows an induced and distracted Jones in the studio). As matters arose, the death came only two days before a free Hyde Park gig in front of 500,000 people -- a gig that would mark a baptism of fire for new guitarist, Mick Taylor, and also act as a remembrance for Jones. Drummer Charlie Watts recalls Mick crying in the corner of the dressing room on the day of the performance. By contrast, Keith states that his reason for not going to the funeral is because he didn't want to make it 'a circus,' and that he didn't even go to the funeral of his own mother and father.

Arriving at the late '60s, there are compelling scenes offered up by the Altamont stabbing of Meredith Hunter, but these are taken from the previously released feature, Gimme Shelter. This time around, however, it is enhanced by comments from the band looking back, which is illuminating seeing as it has since been perceived as the incident that killed the hippie dream and the anti-Woodstock.

Although the archive footage is interesting, there is not necessarily a dearth of unseen live material. The narrative itself is loosely played with, especially at the start, diverging down different avenues whilst vaguely seeking a chronological path (of sorts).

There are some interesting revelations contained within this documentary that will interest fans. For example, Mick Taylor finally provides the reason as to why he left the Stones. Jagger himself concedes that he did not know or understand why, and Taylor goes on to explain that during the early '70s, he was falling into heroin addiction.

Bill Wyman also distills what he believes is the sound of the Rolling Stones. Bearing a theory to Richards oft-quoted opinion that many bands can rock but not many can roll, he points towards the sound as being a consequence of Charlie's decision to follow Keith's lead, which means that the drums come in slightly behind the guitar, which is unusual in itself, whilst Bill's bass would be slightly ahead. Wyman describes this as leading to 'a wobble' effect, where things could fall apart at any given moment.

There is some interesting black and white footage of Mick and Keith writing material together in what is either backstage or in some sort of hotel room. Having an insight into how they worked together on the verge of what would be a particularly prolific part of their career is fascinating. Keith later voices opinion that of all the songs they wrote, "Midnight Rambler" would be the essence of the Jagger/Richards writing partnership. He states a belief that anyone else could have written any of the other tunes, but only he and Mick would have thought about making an opera out of the blues.

Coincidentally, much like that tune, this is certainly a film that goes on a ramble of its own. Starting in slightly messy fashion, like a band tuning up after a short time apart, and taking a while to lock into the groove. What is perhaps most surprising in this film, is that Mick Jagger possibly comes out as the most human and grounded out of all of them, save for Charlie Watts (of course), as he takes the wind and glamour out of the sails of some of Richard's more wild testaments. He is also the most openly candid in his reflections.

This has a lot common with Scorsese's aforementioned, No Direction Home; a film which covered Dylan in his '60s phase up to his conversion from acoustic guitar to electric, and the reaction that he encountered. In that film, Dylan spoke looking back on the events in talking heads. This film is much like that in spirit. Brett Morgan has ensured that the new interviews remain off-screen, however, so that old footage can take up the screen time. It must be said that the strongest live footage remains those procured from the previously released Ladies & Gentleman.

As far as flaws go, no reference is made at all to Ian Stewart, which seems a glaring omission considering this is an overview of the Rolling Stones' career and all the significant players. His distinctive piano work enhanced songs such as "Brown Sugar," amongst many others, and his lack of appearance in this documentary feels unfair and a missed opportunity. Also, there is no real detail on the relationship the Stones had with manager Andrew Loog Oldham.

Introducing the film, Jagger congratulated Brett Morgan for managing to cover 50 years of the Stones in a couple of hours. Well, he hasn't managed that. He has covered 25 years pretty well, but with some gaping holes. Whether this is down to the Stones' reticence in opening up, or a lack of probing is anyone's guess. The sudden conclusion to the film stuns, and makes for a dismissive hand waving to the output of the Stones in their later years. Although it is arguable that no sane person would equate this latter-day output as being near those of the first 20-or-so years of their existence, there have been a few interesting diversions in the subsequent post-Tattoo You era. Scant time is offered for Ronnie Wood and his involvement, which is a pity.

All of this begs a question: Is there a directors cut? Much like Cameron Crowe's film on Pearl Jam, Pearl Jam Twenty, is there a chunkier cut filling out and coloring in the parts omitted here?

At the premiere, Jagger gave a warning to the audience in preparation for the film saying that not all of the clothes stand the test of time. This may be true. However, even though the clothes may seem dated and out of time, the music and story feels timeless.

I know it's only a rock 'n' roll film, and you might not necessarily love it, but you'll probably like it.

*** (3 stars)
[www.huffingtonpost.com]

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stonesnow
As I posted in the Sticky "Red Carpet" thread when I first saw the review there: 20 years creating the legacy, 30 years celebrating the legacy.

I'll certainly look forward to owning it on DVD at some point, which is when I will first view it, likely next year. But the review in The Guardian mentions that the credits roll during the Still Life tour--that's when the Stones, as a telling window on their perception of their career, stop being proud of what they created. Then, after a falling out period that doesn't find them reconciling until 1989, they become what we know them to be today--the traveling company of Vegas-style minstrels playing the same old songs the same old way for the same old people, with anything done since 1981 given the slightest passing nod, written off as largely forgettable.

Like Charlie said in 1989: 5 years working, 15 years hanging around. And with Crossfire Hurricane being like a typical concert setlist [that is, most of its time spent celebrating the early years], any fan can draw the following conclusion: 20 years creating, 30 years [and counting] celebrating....

Damn well captured! And the key line "20 years creating the legacy, 30 years celebrating the legacy" is simply genious! You don't mind if I use that in future?

But as far as the movie goes, I was rather surprised that even they accept the dualist nature of their history, and not even try even a bit rewrite it. No, it is thr opposite; it verifies every Stones book's tale and rock historian's view that what has happened during the last thre decades doesn't signify historically anything. Or like SHINE A LIGHT tells the same story in songs: the youngest coming from 1983... since 1989 the 'boys' just been running face full of smiles to the bank, which I think is good enough for them to get 'satisfaction'...

And all of them are right.

- Doxa



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-10-19 23:17 by Doxa.

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Doxa

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stonesnow
As I posted in the Sticky "Red Carpet" thread when I first saw the review there: 20 years creating the legacy, 30 years celebrating the legacy.

I'll certainly look forward to owning it on DVD at some point, which is when I will first view it, likely next year. But the review in The Guardian mentions that the credits roll during the Still Life tour--that's when the Stones, as a telling window on their perception of their career, stop being proud of what they created. Then, after a falling out period that doesn't find them reconciling until 1989, they become what we know them to be today--the traveling company of Vegas-style minstrels playing the same old songs the same old way for the same old people, with anything done since 1981 given the slightest passing nod, written off as largely forgettable.

Like Charlie said in 1989: 5 years working, 15 years hanging around. And with Crossfire Hurricane being like a typical concert setlist [that is, most of its time spent celebrating the early years], any fan can draw the following conclusion: 20 years creating, 30 years [and counting] celebrating....

Damn well captured! And the key line "20 years creating the legacy, 30 years celebrating the legacy" is simply genious! You don't mind if I use that in future?

But as far as the movie goes, I was rather surprised that even they accept the dualist nature of their history, and not even try even a bit rewrite it. No, it is thr opposite; it verifies every Stones book's tale and rock historian's view that what has happened during the last thre decades doesn't signify historically anything. Or like SHINE A LIGHT tells the same story in songs: the youngest coming from 1983... since 1989 the 'boys' just been running face full of smiles to the bank, which I think is good enough for them to get 'satisfaction'...

And all of them are right.

- Doxa

Thank you for saying, Doxa! You may use the line any time you like, I would be honored.

That said, I have found things to like in the last 30 years, here and there, even though I find more pleasure in the 1964-1974 time frame overall, and having never seen them live [I've always been one to avoid the stadium circus atmosphere], I would love to see them just once in concert before they are no more--if only I could afford the price of a ticket. Next year maybe, we'll see....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-10-20 09:21 by stonesnow.