The Stooges image via ACMI.
The swagger. The drawl. And – as The Stooges expressed in the title of their third studio album – the raw power. Since the Michigan natives first burst onto the music scene in the late 1960s, all three have remained a mainstay of their sound, their vibe and their impact, as driven by their frontman. As Iggy Pop cavorted on stage, their tracks blasted their way into listening ears, and their presence was cemented at the forefront of proto-punk. They would prove active in fits and spurts, including for the 14-year period ending in 2016. Their influence would infuse everyone that followed in their wake across five decades, and will continue to do so.
Attempting to capture just what endears a band to audiences, and electrifies the support of their fans as a result, is far from a new task for music-loving filmmakers; the list of documentaries endeavouring to do just that covers everyone from the obvious (The Sex Pistols, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones) to the not-so (Rodriguez, A Band Called Death). In his second such effort after 1997’s Neil Young-centric Year of the Horse, Only Lovers Left Alive and Paterson director Jim Jarmusch needn’t carve out a new space in a crowded genre. Instead, in the conventional but still illuminating Gimme Danger, he lets his subjects do the heavy lifting.
And, what an energy they offer, in archival grabs, snippets of their greatest hits, and in contemporary interviews compiled over a number of years. As always, the man born as James Osterberg Jr. remains at the centre – and often remains shirtless – though both surviving and dearly departed Stooges members get their due. Of course, for fans of Jarmusch’s entire oeuvre as well as the band, Pop’s prominence and the director’s source of subject won’t come as a surprise. The former has featured in the latter’s Dead Man and Coffee and Cigarettes, and is name-checked in his latest fictional film.
In what proves a primer and a tribute combined, it’s the obvious affection and the unexpected moments alike that give Gimme Danger its entertaining edge. Constraining its focus to the group rather than veering off into Pop’s solo efforts typifies both, making the by-the-book play-by-play of their formation, first flourishes of success, and the fame that followed an engaging prelude to later-in-life chats. It also imparts crucial context for the riveting concert footage peppered at pivotal junctions, both for aficionados and newcomers alike. With the film and other look back-type documentaries an act of portraiture by collision, in essence, it forces The Stooges of their heyday and the remnants still flying the flag of late together, distilling the zest of then and the legacy that remains now in one on-screen package.
Accordingly, come for sounds and stories – and stay for them too – as relayed with not only admiration by an old friend, but with a sense of fun and humour. To assist, animated recreations by James Kerr help fill in some gaps, fleet editing by Affonso Gonçalves (Little Men) and Adam Kurnitz (Missing People) keeps the 108-minute proceedings bubbling along, and spying the likes of David Bowie and Todd Haynes’ Velvet Goldmine among the clips helps round out the jam-packed rock love letter.
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Gimme DangerDirector: Jim Jarmusch
USA, 2016, 108 mins
Release date: December 27
Rated: M
Screening at: ACMI
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