GIMME SHELTER (DOCUMENTARY)

'''Gimme Shelter''' is a 1970 documentary film directed by Albert and David Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin, chronicling the Rolling Stones' 1969 US tour, which culminated in the disastrous Altamont Free Concert. The film is named after "Gimme Shelter", the lead track from the Rolling Stones' 1969 album ''Let It Bleed''.

Contents

Context

Production

Songs performed

The Rolling Stones

Ike and Tina Turner

Jefferson Airplane

Flying Burrito Brothers

External links

Literature

Context

The Documentary is associated with the 'Direct Cinema' Documentary movement of the 50s and 60s. The Maysles Brothers, who directed it, are strong figures of the era. The movement revolves around the philosophy of being a 'reactive' filmmaker. Rather than investigating a subject matter through such documentary techniques as interviews, reconstruction and voiceover, Direct cinema simply records events as they unfold naturally and spontaneously - like a 'fly on the wall'.

Although 'Gimme Shelter' was part of this 'fly on the wall' philosophy, there is much ambiguity to just how 'reactive' it really is. A lot of factors within the film have lead to its dubbing as a 'Movie'- something constructed and fictional, rather than a 'documentary' - generally perceived as being more objective and non-fictional.

Production

The film depicts some of the Madison Square Garden concert, later featured on the live album, ''Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!'', as well as the photography session for the cover, featuring Charlie Watts and a donkey. It also shows the Stones at work in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, recording "Wild Horses". Performances documented in the film include Ike and Tina Turner (who was one of the Rolling Stones' opening acts for the 1969 tour), the Flying Burrito Brothers, and Jefferson Airplane.
Much of the film chronicles the behind-the-scenes dealmaking that took place to make the free Altamont concert happen. The action then turns on the concert itself at the Altamont Speedway, the security for which was provided by the Hells Angels. As the day progressed, with drug-taking and drinking by the Angels and members of the audience, the mood turned ugly. Fights broke out during performances by Jefferson Airplane (at one point lead singer Marty Balin was knocked out by a Hells Angel) and the Flying Burrito Brothers. By the time the Stones hit the stage, the crowd was especially restless.
It was during "Under My Thumb" that a gun-toting fan, Meredith Hunter, was stabbed to death by a member of the Angels. Some sources at the time stated that it was because the Stone's opened their performance with 'Sympathy For the Devil' that the murder took place, as they cursed the event.
A young George Lucas was a camera operator for the Altamont concert. However, his camera jammed after shooting about 100 feet of film, and none of his footage was incorporated in the final cut.

Songs performed

The Rolling Stones

★ "Jumpin' Jack Flash"

★ "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"

★ "You Gotta Move"

★ "Wild Horses" (in studio at Muscle Shoals)

★ "Brown Sugar"

★ "Love in Vain"

★ "Honky Tonk Women"

★ "Street Fighting Man"

★ "Sympathy for the Devil"

★ "Under My Thumb"

★ "Gimme Shelter" (live version, over closing credits)

Ike and Tina Turner

★ "I've Been Loving You Too Long" (at Madison Square Garden)

Jefferson Airplane

★ "The Other Side of This Life" (at Altamont)

Flying Burrito Brothers

★ "Six Days on the Road" (at Altamont)

External links

★

★ Official website at Mayslesfilms.com

★ "''Gimme Shelter'': The true story" at Salon.com

★ Criterion Collection essay by Ralph "Sonny" Barger

★ Criterion Collection essay by Amy Taubin

★ Criterion Collection essay by Stanley Booth

★ Criterion Collection essay by Georgia Bergman

★ Criterion Collection essay by Michael Lydon

★ Criterion Collection essay by Godfrey Cheshire

Literature

★ Dave Saunders, ''Direct Cinema: Observational Documentary and the Politics of the Sixties'', London, Wallflower Press 2007