Iron Maiden: the review of the doc “Burning ambition”
That Iron Maiden are synonymous with heavy metal has been a valid axiom since their 1980 self-titled debut and the subsequent “Killers”. Two records which, with the late Paul Di’Anno on vocals, preceded the Bruce Dickinson era from which would come “The Number Of The Beast” (1982) and the subsequent jewels of the golden decade: “Piece Of Mind” and “Powerslave”, the futuristic “Somewhere In Time” and the more progressive “Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son”. However, we will find nothing about the specific quality of these recording projects in “Burning Ambition”, the documentary on the band in theaters these days – awaiting the San Siro concert on June 17th, the first by a Heavy Metal group in the stadium.
THEDirector Malcolm Venville programmatically places the band’s visceral relationship with the global community of fans at the center, rather than the genesis of individual songs or the dynamics of songwriting. The latter also analyzes Maiden’s parable through a cinematic perspective in its own right and not necessarily in line with the previous and more didactic documentaries linked to the British quintet (and then sextet), be they “12 Wasted Years” (1987), “The Early Days” (2004) or the well-known “Flight 666” (2009).
The Iron Virgin between emotion and contemplation
In the era of over-produced and not always necessary biopics, “Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition” is a fairly atypical work, strong in a contemplative language and warm-toned photography. The chromatic saturation evokes the historic album covers curated by Derek Riggs, and the editing proves to be very interesting, where precious vintage video footage alternates fluidly with overwhelming live moments. Among these are the old footage of the Ruskin Arms, the show at Rock In Rio in 1985 and the large space given to the historic tour in Poland, an epic passage in which the band managed to bring their music beyond the Iron Curtain despite the oppressive regime. The most radical choice lies in the confessions of today’s members of Iron Maiden, who color the narrative by speaking with an open heart, but always off-screen and giving themselves over solely through their voices.
An expedient that allows us to thoroughly analyze the delicate relationship between the band members and the management of each one’s spaces within the band. Equally interesting is the parade on the big screen of an extraordinary community of exceptional supporters, including Lars Ulrich (Metallica), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Gene Simmons (KISS), Scott Ian (Anthrax) and Chuck D (Public Enemy), but also the actor Javier Bardem, who talks about the group with transport and humility accompanied by touching testimonies such as that of a Lebanese fan whose life was literally saved by the discovery of the album “Fear Of The Dark”. This transnational attitude finds a perfect counterpart in a specific moment on stage captured in the film, in which Bruce Dickinson addresses the crowd by pointing out with the utmost openness that a true Iron Maiden fan is one regardless of one’s religion or geographical origin.
Intellectual honesty: the cracks behind the myth
The real strength of “Burning Ambition” can be found in the honesty with which the ups and downs of the band’s decades-long journey are explored: the painful departures and subsequent returns of Adrian Smith and Bruce Dickinson himself (the personal details on the life of the charismatic frontman are not spared); the heavy psychological toll imposed by celebrity (and the resulting grueling world tours); the less successful parenthesis with Blaze Bayley on vocals (here exonerated from the blame for the decline in commercial popularity); the frictions that preceded the 1999 reunion, specifically those relating to drummer Nicko McBrain and the resentment felt for a certain period towards Dickinson. A passage that acquires an even more melancholy aftertaste if read in light of the subsequent and historic live demise of McBrain himself, forced, at the end of 2024, to abandon his concert routine due to health problems resulting from a stroke. A moment of authentic “cinema verité”, which is accompanied by an insight into the importance of Paul Di’Anno as a founding member of the band, but also some insights into the figure of the underrated drummer Clive Burr, the backbone of the first three albums.
The myth of Eddie: from graphic design to animation
Particular emphasis is given to the legendary figure of the mascot Eddie: the film explores his initial conception, his onstage evolution and the various representations on Maiden’s covers. A visual epic celebrated through innovative digital animations, at times particular, bizarre and hilarious, such as the decidedly ironic one that is the backdrop to the live performance of the song “Powerslave”. The audio spatialization allows the legendary bass “gallop” of Steve Harris to be clearly isolated, and from the live notes of “Revelations” to the historic suite “The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner”, a synaesthetic narrative of excellent quality is created.
While sensing management’s protective control over the selected material, an inevitable aspect given the presence of historic co-manager Rod Smallwood among the narrators, “Burning Ambition” does not turn out to be a lazy nostalgia operation, although that feeling inevitably surfaces during viewing. If anything, we are faced with a testament of love, from which we ascertain the fact that, after fifty years of proud independence from commercial radio, the fans are still the true driving force of Iron Maiden.
