Review of Gimme Shelter

A free concert given by rock group The Rolling Stones in 1969 at the Altamont Speedway near San Francisco reaches a fever pitch when the rowdy crowd clashes with the Hell's Angels, who were enlisted in place of actual security--ultimately resulting in tragedy. With The Jefferson Airplane as their opening act, the Stones hit the stage in the midst of uncontrolled frenzy and palpably ugly vibrations. Singer Mick Jagger is unsure how to handle the unruly mob, a dirty orgy of terror, and the Stones' music seem to take on an even more ominous, precarious edge as a result. This documentary astutely captures the underbelly of rock and roll, with contempt and hatred hanging in the air. The cinematographers, brave enough to get their cameras into the most precarious positions, do terrific work, but is the film a relevant signpost for our times or merely a blueprint for the chaos we see today? Certainly it was shocking for such animalistic behavior (and a knifing) to bring down a public event, but the whole sordid mess doesn't seem to have left its impact. Is it history just repeating itself or is society condemned to making the same errors in judgment over and over again? In either case, the film isn't easy to sit through, and its highly-concocted finale (with a somewhat indifferent Mick Jagger sitting and watching the horrific footage pre-release) leaves behind even more ill will. **1/2 from ****