[rating=9.00]
Led Zeppelin has always been a band that inspired the most ardent of fanaticism. Even their detractors seem to have a specific agency to their disdain—Led Zeppelin haters hate Led Zeppelin with the same veracity that Led Zeppelin fans adore them. There’s something special about the level of passion they can inspire on either side. Their music, even today, continues to set standards hard rock and live presence.
For good reason, to be sure. No band has rocked quite like Zeppelin, and no musician has assailed his instrument quite like Jimmy Page. Page is the archetype of the mysterious guitar player, exuding a quiet cool as he coaxes inimitable sounds and feeling from his instrument to the adoration of millions across generations. He’s a transfixing figure in rock, and the cool swagger seen in The Song Remains the Same continues to be the gold standard for rock and roll guitar gods.
He’s an easy figure to love, but no one, in history, has loved Jimmy Page quite like Akio Sakurai. “Mr. Jimmy,” as he performs under, has made it his life’s mission to memorializing the sound, the swagger, and the looks of Jimmy Page. His obsession is beyond that of normal obsessions. He’s not interested in merely recreating the sounds from the records. Sakurai has created an international sensation by his meticulous recreations of specific performances of Led Zeppelin—many of which are available only in bootleg form.
Director Peter Michael Dowd explores Sakurai’s obsession in his debut documentary, Mr. Jimmy. It is an astounding look at the nature of obsession, the magic of Led Zeppelin, and the sheer force of musical fandom. We watch as Sakurai transforms into Jimmy Page himself, pulling the same sounds, the same timbres, the same feeling from the guitar as his musical idol. Mr. Jimmy is as much as story of Sakurai’s obsession as it is a love letter to Page and an exploration of music and the nature of talent.
It’s hard to watch Mr. Jimmy without conflicting feelings of awe and confusion. Near as I can tell, only two men in history have the ability to coax these sounds from a guitar: Page and Sakurai. As amazing as it is to see, it does force us to wonder what the purpose of talent is. Is Sakurai wasting his ability? What could he have done if he transferred this obsession with Page and his style into more original compositions? Does that, ultimately, matter?
In a way, Sakurai doesn’t play the guitar as he does play the Page. In an early scene we watch as Sakurai and his costume designer study The Song Remains the Same in order to emulate the way Page’s shirt moves and reacts to his movement. He works closely with an amp expert to best reproduce the way Page sounded on stage down the smallest detail. And there’s no denying how well Sakurai pulls it off.
Implicit questions about the purpose of talent fade away, however, as we watch the joy the Mr. Jimmy brings not just to himself but to audiences. Maybe he could have found success playing original music, but there’s a kind of purity to his expression now, even if it’s an expression of someone else entirely. It doesn’t matter what he could have or might have done. What he’s doing is good enough for him and he’s built an incredible, world wide following for his performances.
It’s a fascinating look at the passions that drive us and the music that inspires us, not matter where drive to or how we’re inspired to use it. Mr. Jimmy is everything a great doc should be and remains a must see for both fans and detractors of Led Zeppelin alike for its exploration of how their music continues to be relevant even today.
