Tonight I watched Cocksucker Blues, the mythological film about the Rolling Stones 1972 US tour in support of Exile On Main Street. Though I had no trouble finding a copy through above-ground means, I understand it's technically illegal to watch this film. Though this film is witness to all the usual indulgences of rock stars, it's really not all that exciting. Naked women on private planes and everybody doing cocaine on film seem like normal daily activities for these folks. So as far as rock films go, I say, "meh." However, there are two aspects of this film that stand out: the performance footage (especially Mick Jagger), and the use of light to set tone.
Mick Jagger looks really, really good in this film. Silm, aloof and sporting perfectly tousled hair, he saves all his charisma for the stage. During the live performances, Jagger is at his finest: bodily expressive - often so hyper as to be almost jerky - and clearly in his element, he is the consummate frontman: a conduit for the energy of both the band and the audience. I think of great vocalists I've seen perform: Marilyn Manson, Wayne Coyne, Gwen Stefani. These people have a different talent from being a "great musician". GG Allin was not a great musician, but he was a spectacular performer, and I can think of artists like Liz Phair or Bob Mould who are both well talented, but do not have the same caliber of stage presence as those I previously mentioned.
My favorite part of this movie is the way it uses light. Some scenes are almost completely washed out in white, making the characters stand out as dreamy silhouettes, while others use a wide spectrum of bright colors to convey the intense spectacle of a Rolling Stones performance. At the high point of the film, the Rolling Stones are on stage with Stevie Wonder and a full band. We see the audience only as a blur at the edges of the screen, but the stage is full of musicians in Technicolor costume as a spotlight shines down on Mick and Stevie as ringmasters of the rock circus. The two ooze with the raw love that sets great rock apart from good and the moment, as always, is way too short.
While I'll probably watch Green Day's Bullet In A Bible or Nine Inch Nails' Closure a second time before I watch Cocksucker Blues again, I'm glad I watched it. This IS really interesting rock music. These guys clearly love destroying the blues the same way Jimi and Zeppelin do, and I love them for that, even if I prefer my rock music with a little more laugh and a little less sneer.
