Free Bird!
by David Goldman
It Might Get Loud
Directed by Davis Guggenheim
They all found their voice through the electric guitar, but It Might Get Loud's three subjects are a mixed group, personally and stylistically: Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, who went from hot young session guitarist to metal superstar; David "the Edge" Evans, who started U2 with his Dublin neighbors and developed a stunning new sound born of experimentation and technology; and the White Stripes' Jack White, the enigmatic multi-bandleader who's so defiantly retro he still utilizes cheap, beat-up guitars and reel-to-reel tape (and in the opening scene, constructs a guitar from wood and a soda bottle). There's not enough footage of the three playing together, but there's certainly enough here for fans and guitar enthusiasts to delve into.
Each player gets the chance to tell his story, demonstrate his technique and expound on his influences: Page digs out a Link Wray 45 from his vast record collection, while White plays a haunting acappella Son House track. Page, in fact, is more forthcoming and upbeat than one would expect, given his past reputation, while White keeps straddling the line between dedicated purist and put-on. He does confess, in a rare moment of candor, that the White Stripes' color-coordinated outfits and odd relationship (were they a married couple? siblings?) were "distractions" so audiences wouldn't focus on their limited musical ability. The Edge, on the other hand, freely admits his sound is totally dependent on effects and electronic gadgetry; as illustration, he plays a lone chord both with and without them: the musical equivalent of a magician revealing his secrets.
Opens August 14
