Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
Michael Kamen conducts the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra in support of metal rockers Metallica in this 1999 concert performance.
S&M is a genuinely singular event in music history — the collision of Metallica's crushing metal with a full symphony orchestra under Michael Kamen is a one-of-a-kind conception that few acts could pull off with such conviction. Novelty is unquestionable. Cinematography captures the massive scale of the performance with energy and clarity, though concert films have inherent limitations. Plot and Acting are largely irrelevant categories for a live concert documentary, scored modestly to reflect that. The ending lands with appropriate grandeur but doesn't transcend the format.