Sex Pistols - 'The Great Rock N' Roll Swindle' (SonyBMG)
2/5
By: Sabuhi Mir
Brace yourself. 'The Great Rock N' Roll Swindle' has returned on DVD. Described by Variety as 'the 'Citizen Kane' of rock n'roll pictures' and 'the definitive music film of the seventies' by 'Sounds'.
Recap: director Julien Temple's charts the rise and fall of the Sex Pistols through the eyes of their infamous (permed?) manager Malcolm McLaren - 'The Embezzler'. Suitably, the Pistols slip into character-driven parody for the film, or perhaps, worryingly, they are just playing themselves? Johnny Rotten is 'The Collaborator'; Sid Vicious, 'The Gimmick'; Paul Cook, 'The Teamaker' and Steve Jones, 'The Crook'.
Favourably, the film features over 17 classic performances from the band including 'God Save The Queen', 'Anarchy In The UK' and 'Pretty Vacant' shot at the band's final concert in San Francisco. And the film is worth watching solely for these. Along with the tragic performances by Sid Vicious who 'sings' along to 'C'Mon Everybody', 'Something Else' and 'My Way' (if you didn't already know, it's like watching a car-crash).
However, the 'film' itself is sadly extremely dated and politically incorrect from the word go. With special guest appearances from Irene Handl, Tenpole Tudor and the 'Great Train Robber' Ronnie Biggs, unless you are over 40 or have older brothers and sisters, it is difficult to understand this rather quaint British sense of humour.
As a director, though, Temple is extremely competent and skilled. He manages to combine animation, midgets in S&M garb and dirty gig footage of the Pistols and it almost sits. But, dare we say it - has he not just been watching too much of 'Yellow Submarine' and sleazed it up to suit? Whatever, the DVD includes a new interview and audio commentary with Julien Temple, which might shed some light on his influences.
Still, though, this film - as a cohesive whole - is as disappointing and twisted as it always was. But still not as disappointing as Johnny Rotten aka John Lydon's appearance on 'I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here'. Mmm. Isn't slagging off the Pistols in line with the punk ethos?
Artists in this article: Sex Pistols
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