With a band as iconic as Led Zeppelin, all the time that has gone by since its inception and with all the streaming services we have presently, it’s amazing to consider that it’s only now, with Becoming Led Zeppelin, that we are getting the first-ever authorized documentary about the band. But that is the case here, and this movie is something that’s surely been worth the wait.
It’s not like Led Zeppelin hasn’t been approached before by this or that filmmaker or producer looking to make the ultimate documentary on the famous foursome. But writers Bernard MacMahon and Allison McGourty (McGourty is a producer as well) developed this documentary in storyboard form, which impressed the band’s surviving members — Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones. Plant was also suitably taken with MacMahon’s work on the film American Epic, a documentary chronicling early American roots music.
As the title suggests, we only get a story that traces the band’s origins through Led Zeppelin II (the group’s second album), but there is a treasure trove of footage and fun facts in this two-hour film. With commentary from Page, Plant and Jones, plus previously unheard audio interviews from drummer John Bonham ( watching the others listen to snippets of these Bonham interviews is a joy unto itself), we get first-hand accounts of how the members became musicians, how they came together, how the songs were written, touring tales, and more. There are enough documentaries where music critics, other musicians, and other talking heads weigh in, but rarely enough from the band members themselves. Here we get the story from their point of view.
What’s also so delicious is the unseen performance footage, some unearthed from personal archives. With a Dolby Atmos remix, the audio is especially spacious, which is especially complementary if you see the film in IMAX. In very rare cases these days do I say at the end of a movie: “Man, I wish there was another hour.” But I said it when the credits began to roll on Becoming Led Zeppelin. For any fan of the band, here is a movie that tastes like mother’s milk served from the Houses of the Holy.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
