The music of the Rolling Stones has lit up the soundtrack to so many Martin Scorsese films ("Gimme Shelter" has appeared in no less than three of his features--GOODFELLAS, CASINO, and THE DEPARTED) that it's little surprise to find the director teaming up with the legendary rockers for this concert recording. SHINE A LIGHT begins with a few glimpses of the preparation that went into the recording of the show, which was staged over two nights at New York City's Beacon Theatre in 2006. Scorsese also includes some candid footage of the Stones doing a pre-show meet-and-greet with guests Bill and Hillary Clinton, which highlights some of the different personality traits in the band. Keith Richards and Ron Wood are the clowns, always goofing around; Mick Jagger is the consummate professional, always polite to a fault; Charlie Watts caries a real air of dignity, as befits someone who enjoys a dual career as a noted jazz musician.

The bulk of the movie is dedicated to the multi-camera shoot at the Beacon, which captures the Stones playing some of their biggest hits and a few lesser-known numbers. Special guests such as Jack White, Buddy Guy, and Christina Aguilera are ushered on at various points in the show, and the concert footage is broken up by some amusing vintage footage of the band. By using so many cameras, Scorsese captures a side of the Stones that is rarely seen, such as Watts turning to camera and puffing out his cheeks and Richards offering encouraging words to Jack White as he exits the stage. SHINE A LIGHT provides a welcome glimpse into the Stones' world at this advanced stage in their career, and continues Scorsese's obsession (see also: NO DIRECTION HOME and THE LAST WALTZ) with documenting some of the most influential characters in rock & roll.

DVD Features:

Region 1
Keep Case
Widescreen
Audio:
Dolby Digital 2.0 Plus - English
5.1 Dolby TrueHD - English
5.1 DTS Surround - English
Featurette
Music Videos - (4)

Mick Jagger: Singer for the Rolling Stones
Keith Richards: Rolling Stones Guitarist
Charlie Watts: Drummer/Rolling Stones
Ron Wood: British Guitarist/Stones

Martin Scorsese: American director/screenwriter/producer, GOODFELLAS (1990)

Victoria Pearman: Producer, SHINE A LIGHT
Michael Cohl: Producer, SHINE A LIGHT
Zane Weiner: UPM
Steve Bing: 

4 stars out of 5 -- "The kinetic camerawork nails every riff'n'wriggle....An impeccably shot snapshot of a band taking their calling to its limit..."
3.5 stars out of 4 -- "The director cannily sprinkles concert footage with archival clips charting the rock veterans' rise and the unflappable wit and resolve with which they managed it."
"What SHINE A LIGHT, Martin Scorsese's concert documentary does beautifully is illuminate the way things are now with the self-described world's greatest rock'n'roll band."
"As you scrutinize the aging bodies of the Rolling Stones in Martin Scorsese's rip-roaring concert documentary SHINE A LIGHT, there is ample evidence that rock 'n' roll may hold the secret of eternal vitality, if not beauty."
3.5 stars out of 4 -- "This you-are-there spellbinder is a master director shining his light on the best rock band on the planet."
"Scorsese's camera work takes its cues from Mick's moves: It's nervous yet centered, leaping across the stage to gape at the singer' awesome propulsion."
5 stars out of 5 -- "SHINE A LIGHT brilliantly captures the Stones in all their ecstatic rapture, bacchic and sublime..."
4 stars out of 5 -- "It is Scorsese's tribute to the music that shaped his movies, and we see the Stones through his eyes. To him they are immediate; they are dynamic; they are the best rock 'n' roll band in the world."
"[T]hey remain a vital live force....The camera prowls around the stage, flitting between the various band members, making sense of the barrage of sounds as they tumble out from the speakers."
3 stars out of 5 -- "Incredibly, Jagger seems more energetic and animated now than he did last century, and arguably in better voice..."
3 stars out of 4 -- "[I]t's a celebration of durability and stamina...remarkably engaging and fleet..."