Shut Up And Sing [Edizione: Regno Unito]

In 2003, female country group the Dixie Chicks ignited a maelstrom of controversy when, on the eve of the Iraq war, lead singer Natalie Maines publicly decried President George W. Bush, stating that she was ashamed he was from her home state of Texas. This was seen by many as an incendiary statement and caused a swift right-wing backlash. The band suddenly found themselves at the centre of a row over patriotism, freedom of speech, feminism, and the split between pro and anti-war Americans. It also raised concerns over politically-minded singers and actors who use their celebrity status as a platform for propaganda. SHUT UP AND SING (a tongue-in-cheek swipe at their detractors) is the next chapter in the Dixie Chicks saga; a fly-on-the-wall account of the band’s fall from grace and subsequent rise. Oscar-winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple (AMERICAN DREAM, HARLAN COUNTY U. S. A.) captures Maines and her bandmate-sisters as they tour the U. S. and London between 2003 and 2006. It’s interesting to see how, despite their defiant liberal stance, the Chicks succeed in turning a PR disaster into a commercial triumph. The film is interspersed with footage of the band performing live on stage and in the studio, proving perhaps that the girls should stick to their day jobs and leave politics to the politicians.