Review of “This is Spinal Tap”

Review of “This is Spinal(ˈspīnl) Tap”

By Roger Ebert

Guitarist(ɡəˈtärəst) Nigel(ˈnījəl) Tufnel is explaining his amplifier(ˈampləˌfīər) to documentary(ˌdäkyəˈment(ə)rē) filmmaker(ˈfilmˌmākər) Marty DiBergi:

It’s very special, because, as you can see–the numbers all go to 11. Right across the board. Eleven, 11. . . .

And most amps(amp) go up to 10?

Exactly.

Does that mean it’s louder? Is it any louder?

Well, it’s one louder, isn’t it? It’s not 10. You see, most blokes(blōk) are going to be playing at 10–you’re on 10 on your guitar, where can you go from there? Where?

I don’t know.

Nowhere! Exactly! What we do, if we need that extra push over the cliff(klif), you know what we do? You put it up to 11.

Eleven.

Exactly. One louder. Why don’t you just make 10 louder, and make 10 be the top number, and make that a little louder?

Nigel is so baffled(ˈbafəl) by this notion(ˈnōSHən) that he almost stops chewing(CHo͞o) his gum(gəm). “These go to 11,” he repeats finally. His faith(fāTH) in that extra push over the cliff is unshakable. Marty DiBergi realizes he’s dealing with a matter of guitar theology(THēˈäləjē), not logic. Nigel has few ideas, but they are clearly defined and defiantly(dəˈfīəntlē) defended. DiBergi, a rational(ˈraSHnəl,ˈraSHənl) filmmaker, is helpless in the face of Nigel’s rapture(ˈrapCHər).

“This Is Spinal Tap,” one of the funniest movies ever made, is about a lot of things, but one of them is the way the real story is not in the questions or in the answers, but at the edge(ej) of the frame(frām). There are two stories told in the film: the story of what the rock band Spinal Tap thinks, hopes, believes or fears is happening, and the story of what is actually happening. The reason we feel such affection for its members is because they are so touching in their innocence(ˈinəsəns) and optimism(ˈäptəˌmizəm). Intoxicated(inˈtäksəkāt) by the sheer(SHi(ə)r) fun of being rock stars, they perform long after their sell-by date, to smaller and smaller audiences, for less and less money, still seeking the roar(rôr) of the crowd(kroud).

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https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-this-is-spinal-tap-1984