The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights

In the summer of 2007, for reasons best known to themselves, The White Stripes embarked on a tour of every province and territory in Canada, from the relative balminess of British Columbia to the remote ice-plains of Nunavut, climaxing with a tenth anniversary show, complete with fiddles and bagpipes, in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. What shines through in ‘Under Great White Northern Lights’ is Jack and Meg White’s ongoing love for the music they make, and their playful eagerness to inject a touch of surreality into the drab monotony of touring. So we have shows in bowling alleys and town squares, on buses and boats in the harbour, not to mention an awkward meeting with the tribal elders of one far-flung principality. Enjoyment of the film depends a little on one’s passion for the music, but even non-believers will warm to its frank, unfussy style and stunning location photography – in shades of black, white and red, natch.