简介：Ifnothingelse,thisistheonlySexPistolsfilm(therearenowatleast3)tomakeexplicitandin-depthreferencetothebandmembers'workingclassroots,andthewaythatexperienceinformedtheirproject.Thisalonemakesthefilmworthseeing,asitexplodesthemyth,fosterednodoubtbytheirPTBarnummanager,MalcolmMcLaren,thatthewholeprojectwasanexerciseincynicalnihilismandmoneygrubbing.Asthebandmemberstellit,nothingcouldhavebeenfurtherfromthetruth.Ibelievethem. Thefilmiscobbledtogetherinlargepartfrom2previousSexPistolsdocumentaries,"Rock'n'RollSwindle,"(aMcLarenprojectalsodirected,ironicallyenough,byF&FdirectorJulieTemple)and"D.O.A,"plusclipsfromBBStelevisionandelsewherethattrytolocatethePistolsinthepoliticalandsocialclimatethatspawnedthem.Thiseffort,togivethePistolsahistoricalcontext,isbyfarthemostvaluablepartofthefilmforthosetryingtounderstandhowabunchofworkingclassstiffs,whocouldbarelyplaytheirinstruments,andwhoonlyreleasedonealbum,couldsetoffanexplosionthatreverberatesinthemusicworld--ifincreasinglyfaintly--eventoday. Bestpartofthefilm:footagefromtheirlast,secretgigatapalaceinaworkingclassdistrict(theyhadbeenbannedfromappearinganywhereinEngland)beforeembarkingontheirill-fatedUStour.ItconsistsoftwoperformanceonChristmasDay,benefitingthefamiliesofstrikinglocalfirefighters,whohadbeenoutofworkformanymonths.Theattendeesconsistofthelocalladsandlasses,noneofwhomare"punk"inanyapparentsenseoftheterm. BeforethePistolsperformed,everyoneeatsSexPistolscakeandicecream;"NeverMindtheBollocks"shirtsarestretchedoverthepubescentbodiesofeverybobbysoxer.Then,afterathankyoufromtheemcee,thePistolslaunchintothesearing"Bodies,"itssarcasticrefrainsungfromthepointofviewofanabortedfetus("I'mnotananimal!/I'manabortion...").Alltheboppersdancelikeit'sasockhop,withthedifferencethateveryonegleefullythrowsleftoverdessertsatoneanother.SteveJonesisshownplayingguitarwithhisfacecoveredincakeicing,beaming.Inhisreminiscenceaboutthegig,Rottengrowswistful,sayingitwaseasilytheirbestmemoryasaband,andthelastgoodonebeforeitallfellapart. Ineverknewtheguysweresuchsentimentalists. It'shardtobelievethatthereoncewasatimewhenrockmusiccouldactuallymatter,whenitwaspossibletoactuallyescapethecommodifiedrebellionthatnowsellsBudweiser,Nike,andSUVs,whenitwaspossible,howeverbrieflytoscarethepantsofthepoliticalestablishment.Youngpopmusicloverswhoswallowthemeretriciousrebellionofraporgrunge--whoseself-importantlyricsandidioticallymonotonousrhythmsmaketheirauthorsrichofftheweeklyallowancesofwhitemiddleclasskidswhoseideaofrebellionisbigloudsubwoofersintheCorollaDaddyboughtthemfortheir16thbirthday--mightprofitfromgettingaglimpseoftheRealThing. Therestofus,whowereluckyenoughtohavebeentherewhenhistorywasmade,andwhocanstillrecalltheopeningchordsof"AnarchyintheUK"blastingalltracesof"MoreThanaFeeling"and"TakeItEasy"outofourspeakerscabinetsandintothefirstcircleofmusicHellwheretheyalwaysbelonged,canenjoythefilmforwhatitteachesusaboutthepowerofordinary,thoroughlyobnoxiouspeopletomaketheirownhistory,andours.…