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Shot after the band split up, and also following the paths of offsprings The Professionals (Jones and drummer Paul Cook) and Sid Vicious, the film lacks the presence of singer Johnny—Rotten—Lyndon who didn't participate to the project. As hinted by the title, McLaren suggests that The Sex Pistols were just a big marketing scam, a group of kids who didn't know how to play and whom he used to rip off various music labels. Twenty years later, as punk is still going strong, whether in spirit—the veneration for the Sex Pistols, The Ramones, The Damned, The New York Dolls and The Stooges—or through that fake revival that suggests to kids that having spiked hair and singing about skateboarding makes you punk—all the Green Day, Blink 182 and Offsprings of the world—it is however clear that McLaren's vision was too cynical to realize the influence the Pistols would have on music history. Not only have Jones' riffs changed the way rock sounds and created one of the greatest albums of all time, but punk really dynamited society from the inside for a short moment, making it the only current music with real social power. Watching The Great Rock n' Roll Swindle should be a requisite for poseur bands and kids alike, to remind them that Punk meant a dangerous and revolutionary attitude as much as sharp riffs. Contrary to what all these new self-proclaimed punk acts might think, arguably only Rage Against the Machine and Prodigy have come close to punkitude these last few years. The film combines a provocative mockumentarial humor—sometimes going overboard— with live performances. The funniest moments here include The Professionals doing gymnastics naked with a nazi trainer on a beach in Brazil and a couple of scenes involving Steve Jones taking advantage of his celebrity stature. If, like me, you are lucky enough to live in L.A., you can religiously listen to Jones—aka Jonesy—everyday, as a DJ on Indie 103.1: he brings rock history to life. While he regularly complains about not getting laid these days, he seemed to get a lot of action during the Pistols and Professionals' days, the film portraying him as a womanizer who's never shy to be in the nude onscreen. But live performances are probably the heart of the feature, showing a raw energy on classics such as "Anarchy in the UK", "God Save the Queen" as well as Vicious' famous rendition of "My Way", thus confirming that The Sex Pistols were the most defiant rock band and the only fully-fleshed incarnation of Punk. And by listening to the cohorts of rock stars who come on Jonesy's Jukebox and show their admiration for him, you understand how important their influence has been on the music scene. While The Great Rock n' Roll Swindle might be a pretty awkward piece of filmmaking by today's standards, and certainly not an accurate look at history due to McLaren's biased interpretation, this is the definite manifesto of an era. So put on your Doc Marten's and grow back your mohawk because…"Punk's not dead"!
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