It Might Get Loud is an admirable and highly entertaining documentary. Fans of these three musicians will undoubtedly love this film, but there’s also plenty of aspects for non-fans to enjoy too. It’s a film that is easy to get involved in not just because of its outlook on music, but also due to the fact that these musicians are actually interesting.
The film revolves around rock legends Jack White, The Edge, and Jimmy Page. It gives insight into their lives and why music is so important to them. As the three of them conduct a jam session together focus goes deeper into their backgrounds and unveils their passion for electric guitars. Jack White, the lead singer of The White Stripes, is inspired by blues and doesn’t care for expensive guitars. The Edge, the lead guitarist of U2, is a quiet man who takes influence from the events around him. Jimmy Page is a classic rocker who seems to love nothing more then music.
The most engaging guitarist here is The Edge. He also is the easiest one to connect to. He’s the most down-to-earth out of the three and the way he is inspired by the events around him is the most intriguing aspect of his persona. Its understandable to wish that the film was more focused on The Edge. The most eccentric out of the three is Jack White whose passion for music is consistently felt throughout. The opening sequence with him conveys how creative and invested he truly is in his music. While some may feel distance from White it’s only due to his reclusiveness. The film paints him in an understandable fashion that leaves the audience able to grasp his passion. Led Zeppelin veteran Jimmy Page is actually the most isolated and quiet and isn’t as involving as The Edge or Jack White.
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The film is filled with many themes that all strike a connection to these three legens. Not all of them come to fruition, but most of them resonate. The main one is passion and all three of them have that for their careers. That theme is the heart of this documentary and it will bridge that connection for non-fans. Unfortunately, there’s also a few ideas left in the dust. For example, The Edge brings up the film This is Spinal Tap and stated that the film is more sad since it’s so true. This comment is never capitalized upon — never showing the possible self-indulgence of these rock stars. It’s hinted at and never touched upon again.
Oscar winning director Davis Guggenheim paints an engaging examination of these three legends. He primarily focuses on their long careers, inspirations and of course their love for the electric guitar. When the narrative shifts from each one of these musicians it never feels abrupt or jarring. He gives each one of them a fair amount of screen time to express their passion and persona. One admirable aspect on Guggenheim’s part is that he makes the film accessible for non-music fans. It will be easy for non-fans to connect to the film since Guggenheim strikes on themes that everyone can understand.
All three of these guitarists are consistently engaging and while The Edge steals the show, they’re all still entertaining. Each one of them gets plenty of screen time for the audience to be able to feel their love for music and it’s fully understood why they do. There’s a few problems such as the far too short running time and a few unique ideas wasted, but this is still a highly entertaining and interesting rock documentary on passion.