By Erin Free
Worth: $17.50
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Bonham, John Paul Jones, Peter Grant
Intro:
...an enduring example of the truly monumental power of the mighty Led Zeppelin.
Led Zeppelin are – no arguments, please – one of the most powerful and exciting hard rock bands to ever grace a stage. A volcanic collision of extraordinary talent and thundering stage craft – Robert Plant’s shamanic wail, Jimmy Page’s alternately dynamic and eloquent guitar playing, John Bonham’s earth-shattering drums, and John Paul Jones’ hard driving bass – their melding and mastering of the blues put them at the top of the musical tree in the late sixties and throughout the seventies.
Thanks, of course, to the internet, fans can now get their Led Zeppelin visuals pretty much on tap, but back in the day, the principal source of on-screen Led Zeppelin was the classic 1976 concert film The Song Remains The Same, a sensational document of the band at the absolute peak of their very considerable powers. Filmed at Madison Square Gardens in 1973, it’s all here: stunning versions of essential classics like “Rock And Roll”, “Whole Lotta Love”, “Stairway To Heaven”, “Dazed And Confused” and more; Jimmy Page famously shredding a violin bow on his double-neck guitar; and John Bonham delivering the drum solo of a generation on the magisterial workout “Moby Dick”.
While the music is an absolute blast, the song remains the same also boasts something a little more than the standard concert film with its now famous “fantasy” sequences, whereby Page indulges his noted love of Lord of the rings, Bonham races fast cars, Plant enjoys a rural idyll and a little swordplay, and notoriously brutish manager Peter Grant literally opens fire. Though hated by some and admittedly a little silly, these scenes are an essential element of the film and an essential part of Led Zeppelin mythology.
Expertly directed by music specialist Peter Clifton, The Song Remains The Same is an enduring example of the truly monumental power of the mighty Led Zeppelin.
The Song Remains The Same is screening at The British Film Festival. Click here for all touring, venue and ticketing details.
