Sympathy for the Devil
Short description
Sympathy for the Devil is a British documentary from 1968 directed by Jean-Luc Godard, who also wrote the screenplay. It cuts between two kinds of material. One thread follows the Rolling Stones in a London studio as they work on the song "Sympathy for the Devil," showing the track taking shape take by take. The other thread is a set of staged and documentary passages about the political and cultural ferment of the late 1960s, including the Black Power movement, the counterculture and the upheavals of that year. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman appear as themselves, and Anne Wiazemsky plays a figure named Eve Democracy. The film was produced by Iain Quarrier and Michael Pearson.
The film belongs to a decisive phase of Godard's career. It is the sixteenth of the twenty-three features he directed, following The Oldest Profession in 1967 and preceding Every Man for Himself in 1980. Its mixing of music rehearsal with political commentary places it among the director's most explicitly experimental works from that period.
On IMDb it holds a rating of 6.2 from around 3,500 votes, and on TMDB it stands at 6.3 from far fewer votes. A critics' rating of 6.1 from nine reviews places it in broadly the same range as the audience scores, suggesting a modest, divided response rather than a strong consensus in either direction.
What's left behind the scenes
- Director Jean-Luc Godard (1930-2022) was asked to come to the UK to film a movie in support of abortion legalization. Shortly after his arrival, however, the UK softened legislation regarding abortion, and the need to film such a film disappeared. Godard agreed to stay in the UK on the condition that he could film either with “The Beatles” or with “The Rolling Stones.” The first offered to film with Godard declined, while the latter stated that they were fans of his work and agreed.
- The premiere of the film was accompanied by a conflict (and even a fight) between director Jean-Luc Godard and producer Ian Quarry. During the presentation of the film at the National Film Theatre in London, Godard, upon learning that the ending of his film had been changed, punched the producer in the face. To defuse the situation, the cinema manager tried to intervene on behalf of the producer – whereupon Godard attacked him as well. The manager retaliated with a punch, causing Godard to fall off the stage to the astonishment of nearly six hundred people in the audience. Getting to his feet, Godard announced to the audience that he would soon show the original version of the film, projecting it onto the outer wall of the cinema building. Despite the conflict, the manager later did provide the director with the equipment to carry out such an action.
- Working on the film was fraught with difficulties and complications. In particular, the studio burned down, and Brian Jones (1942-1969) of “The Rolling Stones” was arrested for possession of cannabis.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
