Big Picture Big Sound

The Film

It's quite telling -- and somewhat amusing -- that in one of Shine a Light's archival interview segments Mick Jagger, only two years into The Rolling Stones recording career, predicted that the band may go on for only another year. Over forty years later, The Rolling Stones are still around, and still selling out concert venues (and movie theatres, as the case may be). In Shine a Light director Martin Scorsese documents the band on their 2006 "A Bigger Bang" tour, during the second of a two-night stay at New York City's legendary Beacon Theatre.

It's not necessary to tell the story of The Rolling Stones, the British Invasion-era band that brought the sounds of black R&B and Blues from the United States right back into the homes of white audiences from the very same country where that very music had been segregated from a wider audience; to tell of the boundaries and barriers they helped shatter and the record-breaking sales and chart-topping singles or the countless number of acts they have influenced over the years. If one were to list the musical acts that The Stones have cast their influences over, it would stretch for miles, but it would include the likes of Aerosmith, The Black Crowes, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and many others.

Their influence is still heard and felt today, evidenced by the wide cross section of age groups seen in their audiences wherever they perform, as was the case on the second night at The Beacon in 2006, when Martin Scorsese captured these grandfather's of Rock & Roll performing some of their biggest hits with the energy of twenty-year-olds. While still sounding fresh and vibrant, The Stones energized the crowd on that occasion and Scorsese's directorial skills amplified the energy of the performance, bringing a real sense of "being there." For all of those who missed the tour, or just couldn't afford the astronomical ticket prices, this is your chance to catch the band, and you won't feel like you've actually missed a thing. I had occasion to see The Stones in concert on their Steel Wheels tour at Shea Stadium, and I have to admit, I enjoyed this film more than I enjoyed that show.

The only things that keep Shine a Light from being the perfect concert film for any fan of the band (or even of you're not a fan) is the lumbering beginning -- filmed in black & white -- of the band and Scorsese making the arrangements for the concert (Scorsese, forever the perfectionist, constantly trying to coax a playlist out of Mick Jagger) and the interruptions from the archival news footage of the band members throughout the years. These news interviews really only serve to heighten one's awareness of just how much the band have aged and to interrupt the energy of the concert performances.

The standout performances are no surprise at all, with hit songs such as the opener "Jumpin' Jack Flash," "Shattered," "Brown Sugar," "Start Me Up," and "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" being the biggest crowd pleasers. Another superb highlight, and arguably the most satisfactory moment from the show, is the band's performance of the Muddy Water's number "Champagne and Reefer" with legendary bluesman Buddy Guy, who nearly steals the show. The Stones were in their element performing classic blues like that and the reverence with which they hold the Blues and the old bluesmen like Guy was evidenced at the song's close, when Keith Richards took his guitar off, handed it to Guy, simply saying, "that's yours."

The other guest appearances, sadly, fall flat, as Christina Aguilera seems forced trying to sing "Live With Me" -- the whole thing felt like an attempt at commercialism on the part of The Stones. And Jack White of The White Stripes is dwarfed (figuratively speaking) alongside Sir Mick during their performance of "Loving Cup."

The Picture

Paramount's 1080p/24 high definition video transfer of Shine a Light appears in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio and it looks sharp as a tack. The look of the film itself is somewhat disparate, mixing both black & white, color with a slightly de-saturated palette, and old archival news footage in both color and black & white. All concert performances are in color, with a slightly de-saturated color palette and a grainy texture that give the performance an even more intimate feel. The video transfer captures it perfectly, with no hint of any compression artifacts and a natural look about the grain.

The black&white preparation segments that take place before the concert appear to have been filmed on 16mm, blown up and transferred to 35mm. It's a technique that was used in U2's Rattle&Hum and it attains a similar amount of heavy graininess that is no fault of the transfer itself. The convergence and grain of these segments is also captured perfectly by this transfer. Black levels, contrast ratios, saturation -- everything about this transfer is excellent. Even during the performances where the lights on stage are flashing heavily, there is not a hint of macroblocking to be found.

The Sound

Offering two lossless mixes -- Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and DTS-HD 5.1 -- as well as Dolby 2.0, Shine a Light is sure to please most fans of The Stones. Listening to the TrueHD mix for the purposes of this review, the sound mix and 48/24 recording captured the band and the acoustics of the Beacon Theatre superbly. With Ronnie Wood's guitars in the front left and Keith Richards' in the right, their sounds were crunchy, raw, and pleasing to the ears. Charlie Watt's drumming came through with authority, particularly the midrange whack of his snare and Mick Jagger's vocals were loud and clear.

The surround channels were filled with a great amount of ambient information and subtle crowd noise giving a real sense of a live and open performance. Instrumentation sometimes spilled to the sides for an even more expansive soundstage. Despite the excellent amount of ambient information, Shine a Light is much more intimately mixed than some of The Stones' previous live performance releases, and it sounds just right. If I have only one complaint, it would be that I would have toned down the higher frequencies just a tad and added a slight bit more bottom, but this is pretty much the sound of The Rolling Stones.

The Extras

The extra materials offered on this release, though not abundant, will be a boon for Stones fans that just can't get enough of the band. Certainly the bonus song performances provided will offer the most playback value, but the Supplemental Featurette is sure to be welcomed by any Rolling Stones completist.

The extras provided on this release are:

• Supplemental Featurette (1.85:1/high definition) -- A rambling documentary of sorts with more behind-the-scenes footage of the band rehearsing and discussing putting the film together. The featurette also features more archival news footage of the band throughout their careers.
• Bonus Songs (1.85:1/high definition) --Four bonus musical performances not shown in the film, the highlight of which is "Paint it Black"; other songs included are "Undercover of the Night", "Little T & A", and "I'm Free".

Final Thoughts

Shine a Light may be the Rolling Stone's best live concert release since Gimme Shelter. The band members show that, even at this stage in their careers, they can still rile a crowd up and bring the house down. Paramount's excellent video transfer and superb lossless soundtrack make this a must have for any Rolling Stones fan.

Where to Buy

• The Rolling Stones: Shine a Light (Amazon.com)

Product Details

• Actors: The Rolling Stones
• Director: Martin Scorsese
• Format: Color and B&W, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Audio/Language: English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0
• Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
• Region: A
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: PG-13
• Studio: Paramount
• Blu-ray Disc Release Date: July 29, 2008
• Run Time: 121 minutes
• List price: $39.99
• Extras:
  • 4 bonus performances by The Rolling Stones not shown in theaters:
    • Undercover of the Night
    • Paint it Black
    • Little T&A
    • I'm Free
  • Behind-the-Scenes Featurette