Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on September 2011

Documentarian Davis Guggenheim, who turned Al Gore’s plodding An Inconvenient Truth slide show into an entertaining and inspiring, Oscar-winning film, now turns to guitars and guitarists with this unconventional approach to the question of what makes rock… rock. He arranged a gathering of three seminal lead guitarists from three generations: Jimmy Page from The Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin, the Edge from U2, and The White Stripes’ Jack White. They meet and greet, and chat a bit about their techniques and inspirations while the filmmaker goes off to sketch in their individual backgrounds and analyze their roots. Back at the meeting, the three begin to verbally and musically interact, learning from one another. In one sequence, White illustrates his neo-primitivist philosophy by building an electric guitar out of a piece of wood, a few nails and a glass soda bottle, and then wailing on it. Eventually they jam a bit, albeit somewhat cautiously. Could have used more of this. You don’t have to be a musician or a fan to take away something from this unique film. Big screen, please. For the sound. Or at least some good headphones.