November 13th, 2015 changed the lives of many in Paris,France. This documentary follows the band, The Eagles of Death Metal, who was performing at the Bataclan the night a terrorists attack rocked the world.
“Eagles of Death Metal.” It just screams rock n’ roll, literally. But it’s much deeper than that. The Eagles of Death Metal band were in the middle of a concert at the Bataclan Theater in Paris, France on November 13, 2015 when terrorist attack erupted in the concert hall, killing 89 people in attendance. That night changed the lives of everyone in attendance of that concert. This documentary, created by HBO, tells the chilling tales of the band and some of the surviving concert-goers and their night at the Bataclan.
Of course, everyone has heard the story of the terrorist attack that fateful night in Paris on November 13th, 2015. Many however, haven’t heard the testimonials of the survivors from that attack. Jesse Hughes, the leader of the Eagles of Death Metal, depicts his life up until the night at the Bataclan, when everything for him changed. The stories that are told through this documentary are both breath taking and unbelievable sad. I consider myself to be a pretty tough person, but after listening to some of these stories and how it has affected these people, it left me in tears. One can only imagine the truly traumatic toll this event has left on those who survived and those who lost someone that night.
The documentary takes a look at each member of the Eagles of Death Metal and their accounts of that night. Their thoughts, their actions, their emotions are all captured in this hour and half long documentary. What I found to be truly inspiring from this documentary is the strength that these survivors have and their new outlooks on life. Many of them said that they believe a higher power kept them alive in order to find a bigger purpose in their life. Hughes himself believes that in order to fulfill his role in the world, he must continue to inspire and bring joy into peoples life. Which meant going back to Paris, and performing once again.
The documentary shows the bands offer from one of the most famous rock n’ roll legends of all time, Bono, to come back and share the stage at their concert in Paris. The Eagles of Death Metal were honored and humbled to share the stage to show that they are strong and they are with the people of Paris. The band took the time to go out and meet the survivors of the Bataclan before they took the stage with U2. That, by far, was the most moving part of this documentary.
This documentary is moving for multiple reasons. It does depict the tragic event and the evil that is in the world. But at the same time, it shows the resolve of people and their ability to over come these horrific events and prove that collectively, we can be better and strong for those who need it. It shows that there is still hope and optimism even in the darkest of times.
This documentary was viewed by Blu-Ray. This is a SHOUT SELECT pick, which means it should be on your shelves. Whether you are a rock n’ roll fan or not, there is a bigger message that was captured in this film.
