Gimme Shelter, the documentary covering the Rolling Stones tour of America in the Fall of 1969, has been called a "legendary, harrowing symbol of the tragic demise of the 'Peace and Love' era". It is far from a routine rock doc; it chronicles a U.S. triumphant tour that culminates in a horrible debacle at Altamont, California. The Rolling Stones wanted to give a free concert for a farewell show, but when the first choice of a venue--San Francisco's Golden Gate Park--was unavailable, an unused motor speedway at Altamont was chosen. The Stones wanted to pull off another Woodstock (which took place only a few months before), but but the concert devolved into chaos, with a murder occurring near the stage. And so the 60's ended on a very, very bad note.
The disillusionment that would descend upon the counter culture in the 1970's can be seen prefigured in the
face of this young woman at the front of the crowd; after the violence she had witnessed, she sadly watches the Stones gamely playing on, tears streaming down her face.
This film has been reissued as part of the Criterion Collection; as their website states, Criterion is "dedicated to gathering the greatest films from around the world and
publishing them in editions that offer the highest technical quality
and award-winning, original supplements." Judging from what I've seen of their releases, they are more than fulfilling their pledge.
