Martin Scorsese’s new documentary, Shine a Light, catches the Rolling Stones in full effect, pulling out all the stops to give fans of the band the best seats in the house.

Since forming in the early ‘60s, the Rolling Stones have just about done it all. But with the release of definitive additions to the music-movie genre, like Madonna’s Truth or Dare in the ‘90s and U2’s recent 3D, they knew they were going to have to raise the bar to give their fans something they hadn’t seen before.

So for Shine a Light, the Stones teamed with director Martin Scorsese, combining their creative powers and extensive resources to make one of the most elaborate concert documentaries ever committed to celluloid.

Filmed live at the Beacon Theater in New York City over two nights of a charity benefit celebrating Bill Clinton’s 60th birthday, Shine a Light is all about seeing the Stones in their native environment—on stage and at full throttle.

Even well into his sixth decade, Mick Jagger continues to deliver his vocals with seemingly boundless energy. And Ronnie Woods and Keith Richards take turns ripping through guitar solos as the band delivers a set of classics with a few rarities thrown in for extra flavor.

Scorsese pulled together an elite crew of cameramen, editors and engineers to capture the action.

Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Richardson supervised a camera team composed of acclaimed photography directors.

Emmy-nominated David Tedeschi, who worked with Scorsese on the documentary No Direction Home: Bob Dylan, edited the film.
See an interview with David Tedeschi, mixed with footage from the documentary itself, as he discusses the editing of the project and working with Mick, Keith and Martin.And soundman Bob Clearmountain—who has engineered superstars like Duke Ellington, David Bowie and Bruce Springsteen as well as mixed the Stones albums Voodoo Lounge, Bridges to Babylon and Forty Licks—was also brought into the mix.

At its essence, Scorsese’s film aims to be a meditation on greatness: greatest band, greatest director, greatest crew. He’s not just trying to capture a live concert; he’s trying to make the greatest concert movie.

In the end, he comes pretty close.

Check out in close-up detail some concert images of the Rolling Stones. Mick Jagger’s hips may not be swaying, but in stop-motion they look fantastic.