“Gimme Shelter” documents a 1969 Rolling Stones US tour that concludes with the infamous performance at Altamont. The style is very different from more contemporary documentary films. Part of that comes from the period. In 1970 they were using film cameras, and other relatively low- tech equipment by today’s standards. Those cameras give the movie a little different feel from the DV or HD video of today. I felt like, compared to a modern documentary, the edits were far more infrequent. They tended to stay with one show or one setting for long periods of time. It gave the feeling that the viewer was actually a part of the concert, not just someone watching a clip as part of a documentary. There are no voice overs, and minimal text on screen. The audience sees things through the band’s eyes, and through the crowd’s eyes. Then the viewer is left to interpret what happens, the filmmakers do not do it for them. In particular, the shots behind Mick Jagger where the audience comes in and out of focus, put things in perspective.
The Maysles also do an outstanding job of setting the scene. The crowd shots and reaction shots of the band members watching the rough cut are captured perfectly. That, again, contributes to the feeling that the viewer is a part of the concert and also the band’s entourage. It really almost felt like a 90 minute trip watching the movie because of how well they set the scene.
What the filmmakers essentially did is make a “Rolling Stones LIVE in 1969″ video, but they chose to make it in a way that leads viewers to a message about what happened at Altamont. In today’s world of short attention spans, I think it might not work as well. All the essentially raw footage that was cut together to make a movie bothered me a little, but that is probably due to the fact that I grew up with the modern documentary that is vastly different. I prefer more interviews and a structured message, but the unique style in ”Gimme Shelter” that allows the viewer to form conclusions is a very interesting way to make a documentary. I feel like it was very effective for The Rolling Stones/1960s because of how visual the era was, but I’m not sure this style could be applied to just any subject.
