Words: Amanda Younger
Who? Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), The Edge (U2) and Jack White (The White Stripes and The Raconteurs)
What’s it about? In their own words, without all the rock trimmings, three of the most prolific and legendary guitarists in music (Jimmy Page, The Edge and Jack White) join forces to trade licks and sweets rifts while exploring their own journeys into music. Interweaving personal segments, archival footage and a meeting of these musical minds, It Might Get Loud is a rock documentary highlighting the musical cojones of each of these virtuosos while allowing them to explore how their humble beginnings shaped remarkable careers.
What’s good about it? From the shot of a makeshift milk bottle, string and wood guitar that Jack White crafts in the first minutes of the film to the final moments of Page, Edge and White rocking out in ear-deafening rock glory, It Might Get Loud is all about the music. Each of the performers plays classic tunes and bangs out the rifts that made them legendary, while archival footage is scattered throughout the film as both a testament to their own growth and a head nod to die hard rock fans. With the musical prowess that each of these guitarists brings to the soundboard, it would have been nearly impossible to screw this film up. The sight of Page, The Edge and White playing together, taking notes on each other’s style and mentoring one another would have been any music fan’s dream. But Thomas Tull expands the appeal of this film past the novelty of amazing music.
The personalities of each musician, particularly White, shine through and help to make the film more than just a glorified jam sesh. The quirky anecdotes about their first forays into the electric guitar, ranging from White moving his bed out of his 7x7 foot room to make room for more equipment to Page starting his musical career as a prim and proper guitarist in England, all make the film engaging and unique. Rather than some unseen third party rattling off pre-written bios and having the guys speak in brief snippets, the film relies on Page, The Edge and White to tell their own stories. Their charisma shines through, they don’t take themselves too seriously and even when jokes fall flat, their talent carries them to another clip and their next amazing solo.
What’s bad about it? As with all rock documentaries, there is no getting around the rather clichéd analogies of guitars to women’s bodies and other trite observations. But these are few and far between and the audience can generally overlook them. For the rock novice waiting to hear Seven Nation Army or Walk On, you might be waiting a long time. Though It Might Get Loud does present some of each band’s greatest hits (I mean, no way you’re avoiding Stairway to Heaven), the majority of the music you’ll hear will be of bands and musicians you may not have ever heard of.
Verdict: Any rock fan’s wet dream, It Might Get Loud is the right way to do a music documentary. With some of the top guitarists in music joining forces, without pretension and egos, the film focuses on the people first and let’s their talent speak for itself.
4/5