Just like their music, you don’t merely watch The Sparks Brothers – you decode their life story, finding lessons and tips about art, creativity, and how to live happily. The Sparks Brothers is showing at Sundance London on 29th July; book tickets here.
Think of some of the most iconic bands of all time: Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles. They are all undeniable legends, known for their ground-breaking performances and impossibly high record sales. If you came to them and asked them who some of their favourite artists are, you might get the answer of “Sparks.” And you might ask yourself, ‘Who the hell are Sparks?’ That’s what Edgar Wright attempts to answer with The Sparks Brothers.
Brothers Russell and Ron Mael appear as a musical paradox – simultaneously acclaimed worldwide and yet overlooked for generations. They have a wealth of famous, adoring fans who scream their praises from the rooftops but also know little about them beyond their appearance and their puzzle-box of songs. According to the Mael Brothers, this is intentional. Although Wright’s documentary seeks to delve deeper into the Mael Brothers, it also makes us aware of the potential to undo the mythology they’ve constructed around themselves. Many of the talking heads even joke about their desire to avoid the documentary lest they discover too much about Sparks. This is just one small piece in an extensive jigsaw puzzle to understand how Sparks seem to be both everywhere and nowhere at once through musical time.
This is a clear passion project from Wright, taking on the role of curator of this cinematic museum of Sparks, attempting to leave no stone unturned as he catalogues the pair’s history. There is a lot of history. The Sparks Brothers feels a little long, but that may be due to the sheer magnitude of the albums, projects and endeavours the two have been involved in. There’s an aborted Jacques Tati film and a fallen-through Tim Burton anime, not to mention the 25+ albums the two have created over the years. It’s genuinely difficult to comprehend what year we’re in at some points because of the fierce drive of the Brothers Mael, crafting album after album, sometimes whilst touring the previous one. You’d think this would instil a cranky or self-righteous narcissism in the two, as is typical of many bands, but they seem remarkably well-adjusted and down-to-earth. As Wright suggested, maybe it’s the brotherly bond or the respect the pair have for one another, but the spark has never died, you could say.
Perhaps what’s most impressive about the story of Sparks is the sheer number of hurdles, setbacks and failures the two have endured – and yet continued, nonetheless. Throughout the band’s first 15 years, it seems to be hit-or-miss from album to album, yet to Russell and Ron, it’s akin to water off a duck’s back. It would be easy for us to hear the two say, “We don’t care about fame or fortune”, but it’s much more powerful to see their impassioned defence of art for art’s sake played out through their actions. Their music isn’t just music to listen to; it’s fun little lyrical puzzles for their fans to decode, find their own meanings and interpretations. There are characters, storylines, themes and motifs that Ron creates, bringing them to life through his puppeteering of Russell, his greatest instrument. They’re at once hilariously comical and also tragically emotional, closer to poetry than pop.
It almost feels as though there’s something bigger Wright is encapsulating by channelling Sparks – we’re at a time where many decry cinema as cookie-cutter, falling into repetitive patterns with fear of experimentation lest the audience rebel. Sparks never cared about their audience rebelling; they disregarded the nebulous notes of their labels and even shed multiple band rotations in favour of a radically new direction. If they felt it wasn’t working, if their art had become safe, they would throw it all away and rebirth Sparks again. It’s actually beautifully inspiring to see this pair reject comforting commercial success in favour of artistic liberation time after time again, purely because it’s what makes them happy. When you think of what true artists are, I like to think that Sparks is what comes to mind from now on.
No doubt this is a documentary for Sparks fans – understanding them as individuals and as brothers, their process and their undying resolve transcribed through the love letter of a diehard fanboy will be music to their ears. But even if you’ve never heard of Russell or Ron, there’s something here for everyone. Just like their music, you don’t merely watch The Sparks Brothers – you decode their life story, finding lessons and tips about art, creativity, and how to live happily. This documentary feels like the beginning of a new phase for Sparks, and even if you don’t get hooked on them, there is a song for everyone.
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