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After a six-year absence, grunge greats Pearl Jam decided to return to Italy for a one-week, five-city tour—as a part of their 2006 European tour, promoting their recent self-titled release. With them, they brought director Danny Clinch and a bunch of cameras—and the result is simply stunning.
Immagine in Cornice follows the band on the tour, bringing Pearl Jam fans up-close and personal. Not only does it provide tons of concert footage, but it also gives viewers a backstage pass—to see the band as they travel through Italy, to listen as they discuss tattoos and politics and set lists and encores.
At times, the documentary makes the band members look like regular guys—guys who jump over fences and sneak into skate parks, who take to the streets to hang out with their fans, and who goof around backstage. You get to watch frontman Eddie Vedder working with a translator, trying to learn the speech he wrote for the audience each night—then speaking his lines in noticeably shaky Italian.
On the other hand, though, Immagine in Cornice also shows just how talented—and how renowned—these guys are. They can attract 9,000 people for an outdoor concert in a tiny, unknown city. People sing their songs in the streets. And during shows, Vedder barely needs to sing—sometimes you can barely hear him over the singing crowd (as it turns out, I’m not the only one who can’t help but sing along when I hear “Better Man”). Still, they give it their all every single night. After more than 15 years in the spotlight, you’d think that they might be a little bit bored with the whole thing—that they might slow down a bit—but they’re still all over the stage. The shows are packed with energy, and it’s clear that they’re having as much fun as the audience. At one point, Vedder climbs the scaffolding next to the stage—and keeps on singing. At another, he trips and falls flat on his face on the stage—and he just gets up, brushes himself off, and keeps going.
But the highlight, of course, is the music—songs that will take you back to the days of flannel shirts and combat boots. And while they do perform several songs from their latest album, there are plenty of old favorites, too. Their set lists go all the way back to the early days—back to Ten and vs. and Vitalogy (and, to my relief, leaving out much of the middle stuff). For me, the high point was an especially mind-blowing performance of “Alive,” a song that I’ve loved since I first discovered Ten (an album that I’ve practically worn out since then).
Immagine in Cornice wouldn’t be nearly as awe-inspiring, though, if it weren’t for the visually stunning footage—from the views of Italy through the bus windows to the striking juxtaposition of frenzied rock concerts held in beautiful old buildings (like the 2000-year-old Arena di Verona). The concert footage, too, is so brilliantly crisp and clear that you’ll feel that you’re right there, on stage—close enough to catch the sweat as it drips of Vedder’s nose. The whole thing is so lifelike, in fact, that the only thing missing from the experience is the thousands of other fans bouncing up against you and screaming in your ear.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a fan or not. It’s impossible not to be in awe while watching Pearl Jam in concert. And if you’ve never had the opportunity to see them live, Immagine in Cornice will make you feel like you have.
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