#32. The Filth and the Fury (2000)

DVD Synopsis: The Sex Pistols were in existence for only 26 months and recorded only one album, yet they changed the music forever. The Filth and the Fury, a film by Julien Temple, is a shocking portrait of arguably the most influential and certainly the most notorious rock group of all time. It documents the story of The Sex Pistols, charting their rise from the litter-stacked back-streets of '70s London through their crucifixion by the British tabloids and ultimate implosion on tour in America.

As a casual Sex Pistols fan, I was anxious to check out The Filth and the Fury. Having already familiarized myself with the tragic tale of Sid Vicious (as told in Alex Cox’s masterful film, Sid and Nancy); it was the ‘rest of the story’ I was now interested in. 

Narrated by the band members themselves, The Filth and the Fury goes beyond a simple rockumentary by exposing the social and political climate present in 70’s Britain, an explosive time that gave birth to the Sex Pistols, and, in turn, the entire punk rock movement. The Filth and The Fury provided me with everything I wanted to know about the band, and then some, painting a vivid picture of the lives and scandalous musical careers of Johnny Rotten, Sid Vicious, Steve Jones and the others. 

It is a fascinating, and ultimately tragic, tale, and The Filth and the Fury tells it all.

WARNING: STRONG LANGUAGE