The Rise And Fall Of The Clash // DVD Review
The picture it paints is of a band destined to implode almost from the beginning, due to personality clashes, the pressure of success and opposing ideas of what The Clash should be.
It's no secret that The Clash had their problems and notorious manager Bernie Rhodes might have been the cause of more than a few of them. Documentary 'The Rise And Fall Of The Clash' aims to show the detail of the iconic punk band's demise, from the point of view of those that were there at the time. Well, some of them anyway (Bernie Rhodes and drummer Topper Headon declined to take part). The frank interviews with ex-members, ex-partners and various peers are interspersed with archive footage, photo stills and slightly oddly placed drawings of the band. At times the editing is haphazard, making the timeline difficult to keep track of occasionally. The film begins after the group have already achieved a modicum of success, rather than at their creation, so assumes the viewer will have a certain amount of knowledge of the band before watching. That said, die-hard Clash fans are unlikely to hear anything here they don't know already, but they will hear it from the horse's mouth (or Mick Jones' to be more specific).
The picture it paints is of a band destined to implode almost from the beginning, due to personality clashes, the pressure of success and opposing ideas of what The Clash should be. Whereas 'The Future Is Unwritten' focused solely on frontman Joe Strummer, this film concentrates on the band in its entirety and its evolution through the years. 'The Future...' depicts Joe as an icon, albeit a sometimes misguided one, held up as inspirational by musicians and celebs alike.
'The Rise And Fall...' on the other hand, makes the whole band appear very human indeed, with in-fighting, drug abuse and as the puppets of a single-minded manager. It is saddening to witness these musical heroes fallen, most pointedly guitarist Vince White breaking down while drunk during the interview. This film is not for those who want to keep their idols idyllic, but rather for those who like to know the whole story, punch-ups and all.
It's no secret that The Clash had their problems and notorious manager Bernie Rhodes might have been the cause of more than a few of them. Documentary 'The Rise And Fall Of The Clash' aims to show the detail of the iconic punk band's demise, from the point of view of those that were there at the time. Well, some of them anyway (Bernie Rhodes and drummer Topper Headon declined to take part). The frank interviews with ex-members, ex-partners and various peers are interspersed with archive footage, photo stills and slightly oddly placed drawings of the band. At times the editing is haphazard, making the timeline difficult to keep track of occasionally. The film begins after the group have already achieved a modicum of success, rather than at their creation, so assumes the viewer will have a certain amount of knowledge of the band before watching. That said, die-hard Clash fans are unlikely to hear anything here they don't know already, but they will hear it from the horse's mouth (or Mick Jones' to be more specific).
The picture it paints is of a band destined to implode almost from the beginning, due to personality clashes, the pressure of success and opposing ideas of what The Clash should be. Whereas 'The Future Is Unwritten' focused solely on frontman Joe Strummer, this film concentrates on the band in its entirety and its evolution through the years. 'The Future...' depicts Joe as an icon, albeit a sometimes misguided one, held up as inspirational by musicians and celebs alike.
'The Rise And Fall...' on the other hand, makes the whole band appear very human indeed, with in-fighting, drug abuse and as the puppets of a single-minded manager. It is saddening to witness these musical heroes fallen, most pointedly guitarist Vince White breaking down while drunk during the interview. This film is not for those who want to keep their idols idyllic, but rather for those who like to know the whole story, punch-ups and all.
