"Gimme Shelter" and the Absolution of Morality
On December 13th 1970, Albert and David Maysles released their documentary film Gimme Shelter , one year after the release of the Rolling Stones song that is the namesake of the film, as well as one year after the infamous Altamont Free Concert, which is the subject matter of the documentary. As part of the ‘Direct Cinema’ movement, Gimme Shelter was made with the intention of depicting the truth - or a truth - in regards to the events of the Altamont Free Concert and the circumstances that led to the tragedies that occurred, without an intervention from the Maysles Brothers, who positioned themselves as observers. This calls into question whether it would have been better for the Maysles Brothers to have taken a more active role during the events of the documentary whilst filming, or if it was their duty as documentary film-makers to stay back and only observe in their pursuit of document the ‘truth’ of the events without interference from an external factor (i.e. the film-make...