Last night (opening night of the SXSW Film/Interactive/Music Festival) I had the privilege of seeing the US premiere of The White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights. While waiting in line I saw the occasional kilt-wearing bagpipe player walk by as they were heading to some gig. Little did I know that it was a gathering of musicians acting as the welcoming party for all the movie-goers for this film. They stood right outside the Paramount Theater billowing their pleasant tones to lift our spirits and, perhaps, remember what we were about to experience. A nice special touch…
The accompanying dvd and CD of this movie releases this next week, but let me recommend seeing this on the big screen if at all possible. It’s the perfect format for this stylish and minimalistic band. It’s a tour documentary that chronicles a massive tour of all the provinces of Canada – a huge feat that Canadian artists, let alone a US act, rarely attempts to pull off. Frontman and creative genius Jack White explains the impetus for scheduling this tour before the rest of the world tour to follow their Icky Thump album release, as well as celebrate their 10-year anniversary as a band.
It starts off with glimpses of surprise open-to-the-public gigs they do on tour. A large, enthusiastic crowd in a small, remote Canadian community surround a small circular platform in the center of town. As a car with the camera (and presumably the two-person band) drives around, people are asking the question of the moment: “Where is the show?” The editing builds anticipation that begins to be visually rewarded with the arrival of the composed and determined duo follows their sharply-dressed crew members and takes to the stage. The crowd roars and Jack White straps on his guitar and Meg White grasps her drumsticks. One crashing note is played on guitar with a simultaneous drum beat and that’s it. Jack smiles and removes his guitar and they both stride off stage. That was their “one note” concert.
We found out afterwards, when director/producer buds Emmett Malloy and Mike Sarkissian answered questions after the screening, how the “one note” concert was an idea of trying to up the ante after the creative venue locations had done just about everything imaginable. They played in a room with elders of a native tribe, a small trading post store, town halls and even a metropolitan commuter bus. This was one of the best moments, which had the entire busload of passengers singing “the wheels on the bus go round and round.” That might be the biggest takeaway memory anyone will have after watching this film.
Beautiful concert footage is only a portion of the movie’s background. Actual performance footage is used as a bare minimum. While on paper this sounds like a destructive decision to a rock documentary film, it works marvelously. The songs we hear in all their glory and up-close visual footage satisfy that hunger that White Stripes will bring to the film. When it’s time for a song, it’s full frame and sonically rocking. That big, fat fuzzy guitar with a thick low end roars to life, and no one will ever accuse Meg White of not being a good drummer after seeing her strong arms pound away on her drumset.
Live performance highlights include the hard-driving power chords of “Black Math,” the whimsical “I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself,” the frenetic “Catch Hell Blues,” the crowd-pleasing and hypnotic “Seven Nation Army” (which almost acts as the centerpiece of the film), the rollicking melody of “We’re Going to be Friends,” the sultry and bluesy number “In the Cold Cold Night,” where Meg takes center stage at one of the several microphones strategically placed around the circular stage, “Icky Thump” and the excerpt of “The Union Forever” where Jack rants recklessly about “a certain man, and for the poor you can be sure that he’ll do all he can…”
The mystique that is the White Stripes will probably be forever cemented with this film. At least it delivers an endearing up-close and personal look at the band that begins to answer some questions but still leaves many unanswered. A rabid fan will no doubt love it, but the casual observer will most likely be pulled in to understand this unique band on a deeper level and fall in love. Two images that underline the mysterious and much-hyped/questioned relationship between Meg and Jack White will be them walking across a massive glacier and a quiet piano scene at a piano, where Meg listens as Jacks plays and sings away as a few tears stream down her face and then he embraces her for a tight, reassuring hug.
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