In this film, three of the most prolific guitarists of their times, Jack White, The Edge, and Jimmy Page, are brought together to talk about rock. Although this is the premise of the documentary very little footage of the actual meeting are shown. Instead, the movie is driven by the juxtaposition of interviews and footage of each of the individual artist. The director, Davis Guggeheim (who also directed An Inconvenient Truth) chose the perfect three artists for the movie because they are so distinct from each other not only in their music but in their philosophies.
Jack White is the most open of all the artists in the movie because he was able to genuinely express his approach. To Jack, music is a struggle, "You have to pick a fight with the guitar," he says. His view was artistically expressed in a scene where Jack is talking about the history of the blues and on the screen footage of Jack playing "Blue Viens" in concert so hard his hands are bleeding all over the guitar is contrasted with pictures of historical blues musicians. This modern day blues artist addresses everything from his past to his influences throughout the movie.
The Edge, in stark contradiction to Jack White's minimalistic style and plastic Airline guitar, is shown through out the movie playing with effects modules and techonologic pedals to produce his U2 stadium rock style. He explains in the movie how it is possible to completely change the sound of the guitar just by utilizing these innovations. He also talked about U2's past and how they started off by playing after school in their elementary school and their early struggles.
To Jimmy Page, rock is sex. "The curves of the guitar are like a woman's," he says at one point and later on when talking about Stairway to Heaven, "it just builds and builds like an orgasm." It was obvious throughout the movie that Jimmy Page was not accostumed to interviews because it seemed that he struggled with being open. But, this prolific Led Zeppelin guitarist was a key dynamic in the movie because he was able to address his development as an artist in the dawn of rock.
These three artists were able to capture the history and the essence of rock and ultimately the film is not just about music, but ultimately it is a statement about culture and how music is statement the times and the experiences of each artist.
