The first ever authorised documentary. Becoming Led Zeppelin explores the origins of this iconic group and their meteoric rise in just one year against all the odds.
Bernard MacMahon’s documentary Becoming Led Zeppelin presents a visually stunning and immersive exploration of Led Zeppelin’s formation and early years. Packed with rare and previously unseen footage, electrifying performances, and music-driven storytelling, the film offers an intimate look at the band's origins. It is the first officially sanctioned documentary on Led Zeppelin, with the surviving members—Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, and John Paul Jones—providing direct insight into their journey. The film also includes excerpts from an unheard interview with the late John Bonham, making it an essential watch for dedicated fans.
However, despite its visual grandeur and wealth of material, Becoming Led Zeppelin struggles to go beyond the surface. While it meticulously chronicles the band members' early careers and musical influences, it avoids delving into the complexities and controversies that often define a great rock documentary. The result is a sanitized and celebratory film that, while enjoyable for die-hard fans, lacks the depth to engage a broader audience.
The first act of Becoming Led Zeppelin is where the documentary shines the brightest. Through candid interviews with Plant, Page, and Jones, we get an insightful look into their formative years. The film traces their involvement in various bands and projects before Led Zeppelin’s inception, highlighting their influences and musical evolution. Page, for instance, discusses his work as a session musician, including his contributions to Shirley Bassey’s Goldfinger, while Plant recalls being inspired by Little Richard and Sonny Boy Williamson. Jones and Bonham’s early musical experiences are similarly explored, painting a picture of four individuals who were destined to come together.
The documentary does an excellent job of capturing the band’s influences, particularly their reverence for Black blues musicians. The members speak at length about how the blues shaped their sound, and Page provides detailed breakdowns of the band’s musical style. The film also acknowledges the impact of 1960s British skiffle music, with Page citing Lonnie Donegan as a major influence. These segments offer fascinating insights into the artistic foundation that would ultimately define Led Zeppelin.
Beyond musical influences, Becoming Led Zeppelin effectively portrays the London music scene of the 1960s. Anecdotes about navigating the industry, collaborating with other musicians, and breaking into the American market provide engaging context. The band’s early tours in the U.S. are highlighted as pivotal moments in their rise to fame, with performances at Fillmore West and the Newport Jazz Festival showcasing their rapid ascent. These aspects of the documentary are well-executed and provide a compelling look at how Led Zeppelin established itself in the rock world.
While the first act offers an engaging narrative, the documentary’s later sections become more fragmented. Rather than building towards a climax, the film devolves into a collection of full-length performances and band interviews that lack a clear direction. Each song is played in its entirety, which will delight hardcore fans but may test the patience of casual viewers. Instead of using performances as a way to illustrate the band’s growth, the film simply presents them one after another, leading to a somewhat bloated and meandering second half.
A major issue is the absence of a strong narrative thread. Unlike recent documentaries on The Beatles, which provided rich historical context and emotional depth, Becoming Led Zeppelin feels more like an extended concert film than a compelling story. It’s an authorized documentary in the truest sense—one that is meticulously curated to align with the band’s preferred narrative.
Adding to this, the documentary avoids discussing anything remotely controversial. The sex, drugs, and excesses of rock and roll are reduced to mere footnotes. Plant briefly acknowledges that there were "many drugs and many girls," but that’s as far as the documentary is willing to go. There’s no exploration of the band’s infamous escapades, the tensions that arose during their peak years, or even Bonham’s tragic death in 1980. This refusal to address the darker aspects of their story makes the film feel incomplete.
The lack of external perspectives further weakens the documentary. There are no interviews with producers, managers, fellow musicians, or critics—only the band members themselves. While it’s fascinating to hear their reflections, this insular approach means the documentary lacks critical analysis. The film also skips over some of their most iconic songs. While Becoming Led Zeppelin focuses on their formation, the absence of tracks like Black Dog, Stairway to Heaven, Kashmir, and Immigrant Song feels like a missed opportunity, particularly for younger viewers who may not be familiar with the band’s deeper cuts.
Without a broader perspective, the documentary ultimately serves as an exercise in myth-making rather than a thorough examination of Led Zeppelin’s impact. The band’s journey from struggling musicians to rock legends is fascinating, but Becoming Led Zeppelin tells only half the story. It offers a nostalgic trip for devoted fans but fails to provide the insight needed to win over new ones.
One aspect of Becoming Led Zeppelin that is undeniably impressive is its use of archival footage. The film benefits from the sheer amount of material available, demonstrating how modern music documentaries can craft compelling narratives using extensive recorded history. Seeing the band’s early rehearsals, studio sessions, and first live shows provides a level of immersion that wasn’t possible in older rock documentaries. This raises interesting possibilities for future documentaries, particularly for artists who have been extensively filmed throughout their careers.
However, Becoming Led Zeppelin ultimately squanders this opportunity by failing to craft a meaningful story. The film’s focus on full-length performances over deeper exploration limits its reach. For devoted fans, the chance to experience the band’s raw energy on the big screen—especially in IMAX—is thrilling. But for those unfamiliar with Led Zeppelin, the film provides little incentive to dig deeper into their music.
Becoming Led Zeppelin is a beautifully crafted but ultimately flawed documentary. It offers a detailed look at the band’s formation, their musical influences, and their early rise to fame. Fans will undoubtedly appreciate the rare footage and immersive concert sequences, but the film’s lack of narrative cohesion and refusal to explore deeper themes make it less compelling for general audiences.
By choosing to present an authorized and sanitized version of their history, the documentary avoids the drama that often makes rock documentaries truly gripping. It’s a love letter to Led Zeppelin rather than a critical examination of their legacy. As a result, Becoming Led Zeppelin succeeds as an audiovisual spectacle but falls short as a definitive portrait of one of rock’s greatest bands. For those already devoted to Zeppelin, this film is a treat. But for those looking to understand why they became legends, it leaves too many questions unanswered.
Becoming Led Zeppelin is in NZ cinemas nationwide from February 8, 2025
Runtime: 137 minutes
Classification: E