← Back to Reviews
in
#230 - Instrument
Jem Cohen, 1999
A documentary spanning the first ten years of the existence of legendary punk band Fugazi.
Fugazi has always been a fascinating band not just because of their unconventional yet tightly-focused approach to playing post-hardcore music but also because of their admirable DIY ethos that seems them take great pains to avoid compromising themselves, whether it's by refusing to sell out or making sure that their gigs are as enjoyable as possible (with one of this film's most memorable sequences seeing frontmen Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto repeatedly stopping one show in order to forcibly eject unruly punks, with the former even going so far as to put one in a headlock on-stage). Instrument is a similarly unconventional film in that it splices together many different types of footage from across Fugazi's first ten years that includes everything from public interviews to behind-the-scenes tour diaries, but most of it naturally ends up being footage of the band itself performing. There are some indelible images here - none more so than Picciotto performing a song while dangling upside-down from a basketball hoop - and of course they're all backed up by some riveting performances of many of the band's best songs (to say nothing of its many technical flourishes such as impressionistic shifts between different types of film stock or editing choices that seem both playful yet serious). If there is one flaw that stops me from seriously loving Instrument, it's that it feels like it's stretched rather thinly over some extremely loose structuring that sees the film jump between different eras and sequences without much rhyme or reason, effectively giving off the impression that the film is a bit too long for its own good. Despite that, I still think that it's a solid example of a music documentary and is definitely recommended to anyone with an interest in the sub-genre.
Jem Cohen, 1999
A documentary spanning the first ten years of the existence of legendary punk band Fugazi.
Fugazi has always been a fascinating band not just because of their unconventional yet tightly-focused approach to playing post-hardcore music but also because of their admirable DIY ethos that seems them take great pains to avoid compromising themselves, whether it's by refusing to sell out or making sure that their gigs are as enjoyable as possible (with one of this film's most memorable sequences seeing frontmen Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto repeatedly stopping one show in order to forcibly eject unruly punks, with the former even going so far as to put one in a headlock on-stage). Instrument is a similarly unconventional film in that it splices together many different types of footage from across Fugazi's first ten years that includes everything from public interviews to behind-the-scenes tour diaries, but most of it naturally ends up being footage of the band itself performing. There are some indelible images here - none more so than Picciotto performing a song while dangling upside-down from a basketball hoop - and of course they're all backed up by some riveting performances of many of the band's best songs (to say nothing of its many technical flourishes such as impressionistic shifts between different types of film stock or editing choices that seem both playful yet serious). If there is one flaw that stops me from seriously loving Instrument, it's that it feels like it's stretched rather thinly over some extremely loose structuring that sees the film jump between different eras and sequences without much rhyme or reason, effectively giving off the impression that the film is a bit too long for its own good. Despite that, I still think that it's a solid example of a music documentary and is definitely recommended to anyone with an interest in the sub-genre.