欧宝娱乐

I'm not really a fan of Metallica, but the documentary "Some Kind of Monster" is fascinating. Though it's overlong, you shouldn't miss this surreal depiction of four middle-aged millionaires struggling to maintain their status as angry-tormented-rock stars. The movie certainly doesn't help Metallica's image, but it is one of the most honest and compelling chronicles of a band I've ever seen.

To sum up for those who haven't seen it: initially the band conceived of "Some Kind of Monster" as a glorified promotional video that they'd show on late night TV, to drum up interest in their latest cd. But in the course of filming, the band fell apart. Their testy lead singer James Hetfield abruptly entered rehab, abandoning work on the new album. To make things worse, their long suffering bassist Jason Newsted also resigned. At the time, nobody thought Metallica could survive.

Given how much money the band generates, their managers and corporate backers aren't willing to let it disintegrate without a fight. Instead, they hire a new age therapist (!) to help the band "work through its issues." Amazingly, the band readily accepts this, and before long they're talking in the language of "recovery" and "self-esteem." Metallica in therapy! It's exactly as absurd as it sounds, and yet there's no denying that these men have crazy amounts of animosity and tension in their relationships with each other.

The great thing about documentaries is that their narrative arc is often unknown until late in the game. It takes a lot of talent (not to mention courage) to start making a film when you don't know how it's going to end, or what the story (if any) will be. If Metallica hadn't gone through all the turmoil depicted in the film, would there even have been a film? It takes lots of editing and insight to transform thousands of hours of raw footage into anything coherent, let alone compelling. Other issues: how do you gain the trust of people whose lives you're filming? How do you make the camera unobtrusive? Given that pure objectivity is impossible, how do you negotiate a balance between impartial observation and participation in the story?

"This Monster Lives" provides some interesting insight into this process. Joe Berlinger (the film's executive producer and director) has no qualms about exposing the messy sausage making process that results in the final product.

Through the course of the book, you see Berlinger and his partner Bruce Sinofsky gain the trust of the band. Drummer Lars Ulrich is particularly interesting. His urbane mannerisms and bohemian European roots are at odds with Hetfield's "Joe Six-Pack rocker" image, but Ulrich's interest in movie making and experimental art lead him to champion the movie even when it becomes clear that it's not going to help the band's metal image at all. Particularly interesting is Berliner's discussion of the riveting scene in the movie where Ulrich auctions off his art collection at Christies for millions of dollars. According to Berlinger it's no exaggeration to say EVERY PERSON associated with the band thought it was a bad idea to include that scene, as it makes Ulrich look like an effete rich asshole. Ulrich however thinks it's important to show that side of himself, and in the end he ignores everyone's advice and lets it stay. I'm glad he did!