Becoming Led Zeppelin: A documentary that plays the hits
Becoming Led Zeppelin | star rating ★★☆☆☆
Cinema documentaries have become the place for the good and great of music to cement their legacy. From The Beatles to Bob Dylan, filmmakers have clamoured to get inside the people behind the tunes. This week, in Becoming Led Zeppelin, it’s the turn of the archetypal 70s rock gods.
The first documentary to be made with the cooperation of the band themselves, Becoming Led Zeppelin is a journey through the band’s early days, from meeting in the late 60s to becoming the biggest thing in rock ‘n’ roll and beyond. It’s told through interviews with the band members and archive material from drummer John Bonham.
Presented in IMAX to emphasise the band’s larger-than-life presence, there is an exhaustive amount of information and footage to wade through. What’s less present, sadly, are different perspectives. As with many band documentaries, there is a sense that those involved know the importance of controlling the narrative, and as such we aren’t given much that fans of the band wouldn’t already know.
Yes, it is fascinating to see Page wax lyrical about his craft, particularly for those who aren’t aware of his days as a session musician, working on famous songs such as theme for Bond film Goldfinger. Indeed, it’s interesting to listen to any of the living band members narrate a treasure trove of old concert footage from the comfort pf their grand looking chairs.
Considering its potential significance, Becoming Led Zeppelin wastes an opportunity to get under the skin of the music legends in the way films about The Beatles have done. While mega-fans will be enraptured reliving just how they became big, those looking for illustrations as to why they are immortal may leave disappointed.
• Becoming Led Zeppelin is in cinemas from 7 February