Led Zeppelin has influenced countless musicians and left a legacy that reigns supreme in the world of Rock. Throughout their career, they performed approximately six hundred live concerts in small clubs and large arenas. Now, envision yourself in a front-row seat at some of those first live shows, witnessing four intensely powerful parts: the guitar wizardry of Jimmy Page, the dynamic vocals of Robert Plant, the driving rhythms of John Paul Jones, and the thunderous double bass beats of John Bonham.
You have now been initiated into the ultrasonic experience of the new documentary film Becoming Led Zeppelin from Sony Pictures Classics, which was widely released on February 14, 2025, in theaters around the USA.
Encompassing full music tracks in Dolby Stereo, live concert footage, in-person interviews, and never-before-seen-or-heard recordings, Becoming Led Zeppelin is the first-ever authorized documentary by and about one of the most influential and successful Rock bands of all time. Music fans will cherish every second of this two-hour and twenty-minute documentary as they immerse themselves in the presence of these legends. From their childhood in England to their fame in America, this documentary completely comes from the heart and soul of the band and their music.
Becoming Led Zeppelin was researched, written, and directed by Bernard MacMahon with Screenwriter and Producer Allison McGourty. Together, they located over 6,600 rare elements for the film. Jimmy Page decided to trust the filmmaker’s passion but would only consent if the other members agreed. Plant’s participation was based on his praise for the director’s previous documentary, American Epic, about American Roots music. Jones thought –
“it was the right time to tell our own story in our own words.”
The band also contributed their own material. Page offered his diaries. Plant brought unheard recordings of him and Bonham. Bonham’s sister and wife also supplied 8mm film. From the start, the viewer’s senses are heightened with imagery, commentary, and historical events interwoven with hit songs like; “Good Times Bad Times,” Dazed and Confused,” and more. For example, footage of Apollo 11 with men walking on the moon can be seen while the band is performing at the Bath Festival below. Yes, the sky was their limit.
The undeniable and explosive synergy among these four members creates an unprecedented and life-changing interaction that gives rise to something much greater than the sum of its parts. This documentary charts many first experiences for the group with their manager Peter Grant along for the course: their first musical influences, their first album, an American tour, a gold record, a number 1 chart position, and a concert performance at England’s Royal Albert Hall. However, the greatest revelation is that Jimmy Page, in his most modest of ways, was the true mastermind behind it all.
Music has been fundamental since their childhoods. Page got his first guitar at age twelve and loved England’s skiffle musician, Lonnie Donegan. Bonham got his first drum kit at age ten. Jones was a church choirmaster. And little Robert Anthony Plant was drawn to the influences of Little Richard and Sonny Boy Williamson II. Page’s recording career began as a studio session musician and often crossed paths with John Paul Jones, a fellow session musician. Page also taught himself the mechanics of production, which he applied later on. Plant became known as a member of multiple bands when he first met Bonham in the gig circuit. It would be Plant who would persuade Bonham to join the band.
In 1968, Led Zeppelin originally debuted as the New Yardbirds. Page had taken over as the lead guitarist following the departure of Jeff Beck in the Yardbirds. Although, Page knew he wanted to form his own band. When Page first heard Plant’s powerful vocals as John Paul Jones was finding the spaces between Bonham’s signature beats, he immediately recognized the potential of this perfect lineup. Bonham is heard saying –
“The first time we played together, you can tell it was going to be a good group.”
This while Plant describes it as –
“it was an electric atmosphere. And it had been what I’d been waiting for.”
Although they were all influenced by American Blues, Page had a clear idea of the group’s direction and sound, “a sound that had never been heard before.” His hand-painted ‘Dragon’ Telecaster, which was a gift from Beck, largely contributed to that sound. To Page, it symbolized his ‘Excelsior sword,’ which later turned into a ‘hatchet’ upon their arrival in the U.S. and their eruptive rise in Rock-n-Roll.
All the members of Led Zeppelin in the days of their youth become fully alive again in this film. Each of the members eloquently articulates their fond remembrances throughout the nostalgia. Page, now eighty-one, and Plant and Jones, both seventy-nine, are shown listening to the voice of the late John Bonham, whose death at age thirty-two disbanded the group. A previously unheard interview of Bonham provides one of the most unexpected treasures of this film, as are the reactions of the surviving members enjoying these endearing moments.
Although Becoming Led Zeppelin does not offer a comprehensive portrayal of the group’s entire career and massive success, it perfectly chronicles their historic origins from 1968 with the releases of Zeppelin I and Zeppelin II to 1970. With over seven million dollars already in international box office sales, there may be a market for a Part II. In fact, just recently, Jimmy Page responded to the documentary’s overwhelming popularity and posted on his social media page –
“I must say that feedback from fans is just humbling and inspiring.”
However humbling, Becoming Led Zeppelin inspires you to want more of Led Zeppelin. This may only be the beginning of the story, but viewers will happily preserve the royal encounter forever. However, the likelihood of orchestrating four unique powers of pure energy and superior talent into one of the greatest forces in Rock-n-Roll can and will never ever be recreated again. That is why Cryptic Rock gives Becoming Led Zeppelin 5 out of 5 stars.
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