THE WHITE STRIPES: UNDER GREAT WHITE NORTHERN LIGHTS

The White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights documents the band playing shows all over Canada; from local bowling alleys, to city buses, and onward to the historic Savoy Theatre for the 10th Anniversary show. Ostensibly capturing the tour, the film is also a startlingly intimate look at the mysterious dynamic between Jack and Meg. Under Great White Northern Lights captures some sense of their connection – Jack talks over Meg as he asks her to explain why she doesn’t talk much and she speaks so quietly her lines are mostly subtitled – while also featuring crackling live performances. Just as the band’s post-postmodern take on folk, blues and rock ‘n’ roll with its daring blend of the real and the fake, the authentic and the emotionally true, has catapulted them to associate with the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, Under Great White Northern Lights can credibly be included alongside such canonical rock-docs as Gimme Shelter and Don’t Look Back. (Mark Olsen)