About 12 years ago, I took a two-hour bus trip to see the Rolling Stones play Montreal’s Olympic Stadium. I have no idea how many people were in the audience, but the whole thing was a larger-than-life, awe-inspiring spectacle that’s burned into my memory as one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. As fond as I still am of that trip, however, it pales in comparison to watching the Stones play live in Martin Scorsese’s new film, Shine a Light. This amazing new movie showcases the Stones in a way that’s actually better than being there.

Shine a Light is billed as a documentary, but it’s really a concert film. Other than a smattering of Stones footage culled mostly from the 1960s and ’70s, the bulk of the material comes from two nights of performances in New York’s Beacon Theatre in 2006. But the fact that it’s not a full-fledged documentary doesn’t hurt it one bit. Quite simply, this is the best rock-concert film I’ve ever seen. It’s been blown up and is showing in IMAX theaters. It would likely look even better had IMAX cameras been used, but the 35mm negative is detailed enough that it still looks awesome on the big, big IMAX screen. The giant-sized image, though, is not what makes Shine so special; instead, it’s Scorsese’s take on the subject.

Scorsese is a Stones fan; he’s used their music in the soundtracks of a number of his films. He seems to know the band’s music intimately, and he and his film crew (reportedly, 18 cameramen!) are just as much a part of the performance as the band itself. When the Stones explode onto the big screen as the concert opens, the cameramen capture the moment with a result almost spine-tingling. Throughout the concert, the cameras move with as much energy as Mick Jagger does onstage. Combine this with some extraordinary editing, and viewers get a far better look at what went on those nights at the Beacon Theatre than did those with front-row seats at the event itself. I’ve seen well-shot concert footage, but nothing I’ve seen compares to what Scorsese’s created here.

On the other hand, as impressive as Shine a Light looks, it’s not always that flattering to the band. Rolling Stone recently published an interview with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Jack White of the White Stripes, who appears onstage with the band to play "Loving Cup" (Christina Aguilera and Buddy Guy also perform). From their comments, it’s obvious that Jagger and Richards aren’t too fond of Scorsese’s love of close-ups. I can see why. These guys don’t necessarily act their age, but they certainly look it, particularly when projected on a screen that big.

But even though they show their ages and are far, far past their physical primes, the Stones’ energy and enthusiasm can only be admired. When I saw them 12 years ago, I was impressed by the energy they put into that show. Now all past 60, they seem to perform just as well, if not better. Shine a Light conveys their intensity like no other concert film I’ve seen before.

Originally, I was going to give Shine a slightly higher rating of 4.5 stars -- it really got my blood flowing. But despite my admiration for it, two things bothered me. One was that Scorsese himself seemed to want to be not only behind the scenes, but in front of them as well. He shows up at the beginning and the end, and is sometimes a little too distracting and cutesy in a Woody Allen-ish sort of way, which takes away from the intensity of the concert footage. Another thing is the ending, which many fans of Goodfellas will likely love. That should include me, but again, it didn’t seem to fit with the tone of the concert footage. If someone disagrees with me on these points, though, I wouldn’t be surprised.

But these are minor things. When I again watch Shine a Light -- I liked it that much -- I might feel differently. What I’m sure I won’t change my mind about is the quality of the filmmaking. Shine a Light is the best concert film I’ve ever seen -- and I’ve seen a lot of them. Scorsese, now well into his own 60s, seems to have as much time on his side as the Stones, and shows us that it certainly doesn’t have to be a drag to get old.

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