David Maysles, Albert Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin, 1970 // the criterion collection //
9.5
a crestfallen account of the build up surrounding the Rolling Stones' free 1969 concert at Altamont, California, that drew in as much as 300,000 people. the film is a slow burner that's at once joyful, stunning, freakish, and horrifying. but words can't do justice to what the Maysles brothers and Charlotte Zwerin make this film feel like. even though i knew going in the events that would unfold, they were still able to calmly and effortlessly capture so much of the tension, sadness and fear that they made it feel like a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the viewer (the claustrophobic third act, with its heartbreaking outbursts of violence, is something to be reckoned with). the filmmakers are able to transcend one of the most gigantic bands of all-time, at the peak of their creative career, and capture raw, unfiltered emotions. it is scary. they got me emotionally involved in something that happened 35 years ago, for christ's sake. this is grand documentary filmmaking at its best. i was so enthralled by it that i immediately added it to my wishlist as soon as the closing credits rolled. i'm definitely buying this one. so highly recommended. you have no idea.
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