I saw the film on VCR TWICE. I read many users' comments. And I still do not know what to think of what I saw.
It was a good documentary, well made, captivating at times. But was this a genuine depiction of the band's life? No way! I cannot accept the fact that the members are talking in this irritatingly mild voice, have these expressionless faces while they are spitting insults to one another. And their vocabulary, god, like they have some psychology degree! "Truth is the safest lie" tells a Jewish quote and I can only imagine that this "truthful" documentary was a well rehearsed farce." Wearing your heart on your sleeve" is the latest trend, it brings dollars too! I do not say that all that was depicted was false, no. I cannot doubt James Hetfield's issue with alcoholism or his sense of personal loss. I do not doubt that there are frictions in the band. I just doubt the sincerity of this whole project: the way these frictions were depicted and the reason behind. In my opinion it was just a lengthy promotional video for their "St. Anger" album, working undercover, you understand...
Hetfield and Ulrich were getting on my nerves through their incessant pretentious blah blah. They were not sincere even in their egocentricity. I got the impression they were actually trying to make themselves interesting throughout the whole film. You know, the vendettas - only the film was in color, not black and white. Which Kirk Hammett didn't. Credit must go to him because he was the only authentic presence in the whole film. And I mean it. He is not ego-less either: In an instance, I don't remember exactly, Ulrich says something to Hetfield (or vice versa) about him fearing not being part of the creative process, where Hammett all of a sudden makes the statement "That's how I felt the last 15 years". With bitterness. But no one seemed to notice...I think he is really the one who holds the band together.
I was not disillusioned, for one thing. I used to be also an early Metallica fan, and stopped listening to them after the "Black Album", after their music showed visible signs of decay. Decay usually comes from having too much (money? existential problems?). This is reality and it cannot be deleted. They cannot be angry, penniless teenagers again. But maybe if they tried to grow old with dignity...
Highlight of the documentary: The archive footage with Cliff Burton. It was the most painful scene for me to watch.
It was a good documentary, well made, captivating at times. But was this a genuine depiction of the band's life? No way! I cannot accept the fact that the members are talking in this irritatingly mild voice, have these expressionless faces while they are spitting insults to one another. And their vocabulary, god, like they have some psychology degree! "Truth is the safest lie" tells a Jewish quote and I can only imagine that this "truthful" documentary was a well rehearsed farce." Wearing your heart on your sleeve" is the latest trend, it brings dollars too! I do not say that all that was depicted was false, no. I cannot doubt James Hetfield's issue with alcoholism or his sense of personal loss. I do not doubt that there are frictions in the band. I just doubt the sincerity of this whole project: the way these frictions were depicted and the reason behind. In my opinion it was just a lengthy promotional video for their "St. Anger" album, working undercover, you understand...
Hetfield and Ulrich were getting on my nerves through their incessant pretentious blah blah. They were not sincere even in their egocentricity. I got the impression they were actually trying to make themselves interesting throughout the whole film. You know, the vendettas - only the film was in color, not black and white. Which Kirk Hammett didn't. Credit must go to him because he was the only authentic presence in the whole film. And I mean it. He is not ego-less either: In an instance, I don't remember exactly, Ulrich says something to Hetfield (or vice versa) about him fearing not being part of the creative process, where Hammett all of a sudden makes the statement "That's how I felt the last 15 years". With bitterness. But no one seemed to notice...I think he is really the one who holds the band together.
I was not disillusioned, for one thing. I used to be also an early Metallica fan, and stopped listening to them after the "Black Album", after their music showed visible signs of decay. Decay usually comes from having too much (money? existential problems?). This is reality and it cannot be deleted. They cannot be angry, penniless teenagers again. But maybe if they tried to grow old with dignity...
Highlight of the documentary: The archive footage with Cliff Burton. It was the most painful scene for me to watch.