Metallica Through The Never

I seem to keep having nights where I am getting around to writing a lot later than intended.  Tonight's excuse is because I was watching Captain Phillips, which will be reviewed in podcast form on Monday and possibly on this blog on Saturday.  Tomorrow will possibly a later one as well as I will be watching The Fifth Estate, a film about Julian Assange and WikiLeaks.  Tonight, however, is all about Metallica.  And a disclaimer once again that I am without a proof reader.  My cat, John McClane, does not yet understand sentence structure and is therefore no good to me.

A number of weeks ago, the concert movie Metallica Through The Never  brought the 3D concert experience to IMAX screens across North American.  There was a long stretch of time where Metallica was a band near and dear to my own heart (from the albums And Justice For All through to Garage Inc.) so I had a personal desire to see it.  As well, it was reviewing quite well so it was viewed to be talked about in podcast form.  As well as being a concert film, there is a fictional narrative that plays sporadically throughout the film (usually tying in with changing songs).  The fictional aspect gets almost post apocalyptic at times, as it follows a roadie on a quest to bring fuel to a van that is carrying something that is needed for the Metallica concert.

I have always believed that a good concert film should do a few things.  First, it should make you wish that you were at the concert that it is showing.  Second, it should make you feel like you are actually at that concert.  Third, it should leave you feeling affection towards the music, with the songs still running through your head.  Twice there I mentioned 'feel,' which is appropriate because music is an emotional experience.  Without that connection, it is just sequences of notes and beats.  And, I am happy to announce, that Metallica Through the Never nailed each of those three aspects.

One of the most powerful tools of the movie was the camera work.  It was brilliantly crisp and clear, but it was also all over the place.  At times I felt like I was a fan standing in the front row with Kirk Hammett soloing only a few feet away, and at other times I was right on stage, staring Lars in the face as he hit the toms.  Crane shots swooped over the stage and the crowds, giving the large and vast feeling of the stadium concert, and at other times it felt intimate and close on stage with the band.

The band was the other great positive of the movie.  If you are a fan and you have not seen this film, you have missed out.  The performance, from the stage set up to the set list, was engaging and stimulating.  As well, this is a band that does not just go out there and play a few songs.  They really seem to have a connection with the audience as they interact with them, send them into a frenzy, and in return feed off of that energy.  Normally a crowd is just a backdrop, but in this film it shows the crowd clearly.  We see the faces of the people in attendance, and that just furthers the feeling that the show is not just about Metallica, but that it is a two way relationship with their fans.

The only criticism that I could possibly have with this movie is that there were times near the end when the cuts from concert to narrative (and vice versa) were a little abrupt.  They both were so entertaining to watch that at points I really did not want to have the focus changed.  That's the only criticism, and it did not affect the viewing experience.

It is a very easy film for me to recommend to the Metallica fan.  It may not hit all of your favourite songs, but it makes you feel like you are right there with them.  There were times when I wanted to sing along with the stadium, pump my fist with the stadium, and applaud with the stadium.  This is because that's where I was transported to, and what more could be asked of a concert film?

Rating - 3.5 out of 4 stars