In the winter of 1969, the ROLLING STONES held a free concert at the Altamont Speedway in San Francisco. Hundreds of thousands of people showed up, lining the highway to the racetrack with miles of parked cars. Slowly, things got out of control. There were too many people and not enough security. What security existed came in the form of the Hell’s Angels, the motorcycle gang. They had performed similar functions at GRATEFUL DEAD concerts in the area with no problems. At Altamont, skirmishes broke out between the hippie concertgoers and the Angels thoughout the day, and, when the ROLLING STONES finally took the stage, fans died.

The film does not try to hide the impending violence from its viewers. After a rollicking live performance, the ROLLING STONES are seen watching themselves on some editing equipment. We watch Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts’ faces as they hear about the death toll. Throughout the documentary, the directors cut back to the editing room footage - it’s the film’s ultimate before-and-after trick.

Directors Maysles, Maysles and Zwerin seem unsure of themselves until we reach Altamont and the preparations for the concert. They probably spend more time than is necessary on several ROLLING STONES concerts leading up to the big show (Though STONES fans will no doubt enjoy the performances). Still, knowing what is going to happen, the air in the rooms they play seems filled with dread and foreboding. In a few shots, the audience seems entranced under a spell. At one show, a fan jumps onto the stage out of nowhere, smothering Mick. We don’t know what to expect, and any moment things seem like they can erupt into violence. This is a real horror movie, with more scares than anything typically grouped in that genre.

At Altamont, the movie becomes an increasingly tense series of images. There is no narration and no captions clocking the hours until show time, putting the viewer right in the middle of the chaos and confusion that went into this disaster. One moment sums up the whole mood; amidst a huge crowd a man looks around in confusion, finally asking to anyone who might answer, “Which way is the stage?” People give him conflicting responses. The camera pulls back to reveal that it doesn’t know either.

By the time the ROLLING STONES take the stage it is clear that no one is in control, and watching with fearful anticipation as the band tries to play, it seems amazing that so few people died at the concert. The tension is palpable on the faces of Jagger and Richards; it appears that a riot could break out at any moment. When the inevitable does happen, the editors use the framing technique to slow down and freeze the chaos to show you a knife, a gun, and a murder. It’s spellbinding.

And just like that the movie ends. No explanations, no apologies, no commentary. At first we desire answers, if anything to comfort us after the terrible acts we’ve been witness to. But ending the film as soon as possible also gives the images the maximum impact possible. All we’re left to do is sit and wonder and replay it all in our minds.