AC/DC: Let There Be Rock

Plot

High voltage rock and roll band AC/DC appear live on stage in this French documentary. A 1979 Paris concert during the Australian heavy metal band's "Highway To Hell" tour showcases the power and precision that the quintet bring to vicious rockers like "Whole Lotta Rosie," "Shot Down In Flames," "Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be" and the epic parable "Let There Be Rock." Pixieish lead guitarist Angus Young, attired in his trademark school-boy's uniform, takes center stage with his energetic antics and frenetic solos, while the rest of the band crank out their minimalist boogie with quiet determination. Interview segments and humorous backstage footage show another side to the thuggish musicians, especially AC/DC's flamboyant lead singer Bon Scott, who died two months after this filmed concert. Fans of the highly influential heavy rock group will want to seek out AC/DC: Let There Be Rock for a glimpse of the band performing at the peak of their powers and teetering on the brink of worldwide stardom. ~ Fred Beldin, Rovi

Review

AC/DC: Let There Be Rock is a clumsy and over-ambitious documentary, but as the bulk of the film is taken up with exceptionally-lensed footage of the band tearing through a hot set of live rock, AC/DC fans are going to forgive nearly everything. Filmed December 1979 at the Pavillion De Paris, the band starts off a bit stiff and labored, but each number builds in momentum and velocity until the combustible title song ends the show in a frenzy. Firebrand guitarist Angus Young goes through his entire bag of signature tricks; a playful mix of Mick Jagger and Chuck Berry stage moves, removing his Little Lord Fauntleroy uniform in a lascivious strip tease, riding out into the crowd on a roadie's shoulders during a solo and completely losing himself in a flurry of blazing fuzz-blues licks. Frontman Bon Scott, shirtless and squeezed into a pair of rotted jeans with an unfortunate tear up the backside, is thick throated but venomous, declaring his intention to rock with every verse. The rest of the band (including Young's older brother Malcom Young as rhythm guitarist/mastermind) is uncannily solid, providing a proletarian stomp with the barest chords and deceptive simplicity. It's rock boiled down to its most aggressive elements and delivered with the brash "just one of the blokes" good humor that has endeared the band to its fans. Director Eric Dionysis captures the excitement of the live show with an energetic style and effective close-up shots, though the staged interviews and sub-The Song Remains The Same fantasy sequences show the band to be bemused but not convinced by these attempts to add some arty depth to the proceedings. The highlight of the extracurricular segments is Bon Scott, radiating warmth and humility in these last interviews before his untimely death at age 33 from alcohol poisoning. AC/DC: Let There Be Rock was released in France a year after it was filmed, though American release was delayed until well after the band had established themselves in the States with new vocalist Brian Johnson and the multi-platinum success of the Back In Black album. ~ Fred Beldin, Rovi

Cast

• AC/DC

Bon Scott; Angus Young; Malcolm Young; Cliff Williams; Phil Rudd

Credit

Eric Dionysius - Director, Eric Mistler - Director, Jean-Francois Gondre - Cinematographer, Eric Dionysius - Producer, Eric Mistler - Producer

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