Product: Filth to Fury [VHS]
Rating: 4.0
The Truth About the Sex Pistols
The surreal documentary of the rise and fall of the punk band the Sex Pistols is a very captivating film directed by Julien Temple. The filming techniques and the multitude of clips that enhanced the documentary ranging from cuts of the bands performances, ads taken from British television shows, the beginnings of a social collapse in Britain portrayed by the garbage strike and street demonstrations tell a very empowering story.I thought it did an excellent job of giving an accurate account about the exciting, repulsive, offensive and even pitiful lives of the band members who were ostracized and hated by most of the British society. Yet it also portrayed the huge punk movement and culture they began and the people whom lived off of the rebellious vibes of their music. Music in a sense can be cult-like, and in this situation it was. Though each band member had their own personal problems besides the frequent inter-band disagreements, still a sense of a common following was founded based on revolution.Their short-lived music career was nothing more than a harsh statement about life: living it and getting by. At their last show in San Francisco Rotten announced his lack of enjoyment with his music career and even stopped short in playing the final song of the set. His famous line after this says it best, "Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?" Yes, moments in life come and go, and in the situation of the Sex Pistols their run was over, but the movement they started will never be forgotten. This extremely comprehensive documentary shouts this out loud and clear. The band scared people, it made them question their beliefs, and it made them think.Though I thought the film dished out important messages, it was also rather drawn out and repetitive. It seemed as though the assembling of the band as well as the breakup were the most important aspects of the documentary; the middle could have been more compressed and had just as strong of an affect. Coming from a viewer who had never encountered the history of the Sex Pistols before, the documentary was confusing at points, but had a strong appeal and left me wanting to find out more about this influential band.