The Rolling Stones: Gimme Shelter

Simply a surreal film. Really a maddening film...if it weren't for Altamont, this would be nothing more than a low budget fan-based Stones cult classic, but the events of December 6th, 1969 make it an historical icon. Presented under the guise of following the Stones late in their Gimme Shelter tour of 1969, this disjointed account follows the band as they complete a show at Madison Square Garden in New York and begin negotiations for a `Woodstock' like free concert in the San Francisco area late in 1969. Interspersed with recording studio drug induced sound checks for, among other things, an early recording of `Wild Horses', the film meanders towards the inevitable outcome at Altamont and the absolutely phenomenal occurrences of that day and concert.

Really following no rhyme nor reason, this movie moves at a somewhat languid pace with snippets of concert footage and backstage coverage of the band...this Criterion Collection has performed an amazing service by digitally remastering these recordings to sound absolutely rich and astounding. The New York shows and Altamont shows all have a drive and depth with the bass and lead/rhythm guitars brought out and integrated with Jagger's vocals that really stand out. My only complaint about this `tour' film is that after the tragedy at Altamont, the Stones play some of their best live concert music and this film, unbelievably, does not present it.

The highlight of this movie, obviously, is the Altamont concert and these events cover almost the entire last half of the film. Showing the rushed attempts at staging this show and the behind the scenes negotiating in the rush up to it, we're then propelled out to the raceway where we're suddenly a part of the concert scene. A `Woodstock' like affect then takes place as we see hippie after hippie take his place in the crowd and the ever present drug-like aura pervades. Suddenly, motorcycle-like rumbles override the crowd noise and the Hell's Angels make a ceremonial like entrance and the inextricable shift to violence begins as does the concert. Among the classic footage is a confrontational trash talk exchange between Jefferson Airplane's Grace Slick and the Hell's Angels frontmen over the clubbing into unconsciousness of one of its band members. Also, the Grateful Dead arrive and then soon depart, without playing, as they learn of the unrelenting violence associated with this concert.

The Stones, meanwhile, purposely wait for nightfall, angering, according to Angels frontman Sonny Barger, the crowd even further and take the stage under an immense and violent aura. This is where the film gets hypnotic as the band breaks into their set while the Angels continue beating the crowd into submission. Pause after violent pause in the music is offset by Mick's pensive outlook as the environment is clearly out of control. It is amazing to see the concert aesthetics of the sixties as the Angels walk about onstage and even talk with Jagger between vocal sets. A large dog even walks across the stage and the motorcyclists wrestle with a large naked drugged out woman before we see Meredith Hunter in his lime green suit rush the stage before he's beaten back. It's not until it's presented to the Mick and the viewer in the ever present backdrop of editing this film that we see in slow motion the real horror of Hunter's and the Angel's actions. Carrying a gun in an apparent drug induced haze while rushing the stage, Hunter is beaten back, stabbed and killed while Jagger tries to control the crowd. Helicoptored out amidst loud sobbing from his girlfriend and under a blood soaked gurney, the band continues, but the viewer only gets to see Mick reviewing the `awful' footage on a small film screen in a studio and then walking out. This is where the film ends.

While important from an historical perspective, this film was very revealing as a `you are there' anchor. The close proximity to the band as the violence was occurring and the abundance of concert footage earlier that day gives the viewer a solid view of Altamont and the absurdity of that day. Weak in its point of coverage of the Stones on Tour, it more than makes up for it with the melancholy and surrealism associated with the death and violence that equates to the epithet Altamont.

Still an extremely powerful film after all these years. There are some fantastic musical moments, some incredible historical moments, "hey, the Hell's Angels just punched our bass player in the face, man" (poor Marty, never could catch a break), and some genuinely scary moments. It all adds up to a must-see documentary showing the darker side of the '60's revolution. Hired to be Security by The Rolling Stones, (NOT the Grateful Dead as has been rumored, they suggested the Angels but did not hire them, that's on Mick and the lawyers), hordes of Hell's Angels hopped up on cheap red wine, lousy speed and bad LSD prowl thru the show- what could possibly go wrong....

Watching "Gimme Shelter" is akin to witnessing a court deposition with the Rolling Stones i.e. Mick Jagger testifying to their culpability in the wake of the Altamont free concert disaster. The first half of the film is predominately live footage of the Stones Thanksgiving 1969 show at Madison Square Garden and mixing "Wild Horses" at Muscle Shoals studios. These events go swimmingly because there is an element of control that wasn't present at Altamont. The second half concentrates on the doomed concert. Poor planning, change of venue at the last minute, audience that were either off their meds or self medicating, and band tardiness. Throw in some pool cue wielding Hell's Angels acting as security and you toss the lit match at the proverbial gas tank. Something you will never see is an obviously petrified Mick Jagger who is probably wondering how he got into this mess. As a Stones fan I'm led to wonder how they allowed this damning film see the light of day yet they held back the release of "The Rolling Stones Rock 'N' Roll Circus" and "Charlie is My Darling" for years. My best guess is the film serves as damage control, sympathy for the devil so to speak. You never feel the communion between the artists and the audience that exists in Michael Wadleigh's "Woodstock". The Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin do a terrific job capturing the atmosphere of the event. That said there were 300,000 stories at Altamont and you feel that somehow this film is incomplete.