Directed by Gracie Otto
Written by Cody Greenwood, Gracie Otto, Ian Shadwell, Joseph Nizeti, Jennifer Peedom
Runtime: 1 hour and 36 minutes
Available to watch on demand and digitally August 17

by Melissa Strong, Contributor

Under the Volcano tells the story of AIR Montserrat, a recording studio on an island in the West Indies that attracted some of the biggest names in popular music during the 1980s. It is a music documentary about a place, one special to the mostly British white musicians who recorded there. George Martin, the legendary Beatles producer and arranger, founded AIR in London after the band broke up. He built a second studio on Montserrat following a visit prompted by a magazine article calling it “the Emerald Island of the Caribbean.” Ireland colonized Montserrat, and today it is the only non-sovereign member of the CC, an EU-like organization for the Caribbean. AIR Montserrat also resembled a colonizing force, though this is not the story Under the Volcano aims to tell.

From 1979 to 1989, when Hurricane Hugo destroyed the studio, AIR was a hit factory cranking out songs like “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” by The Police, “Walk of Life” by the Dire Straits, “I’m Still Standing” by Elton John, “The Reflex” by Duran Duran, and the Paul McCartney/Stevie Wonder duet “Ebony and Ivory.” Montserrat also inspired visiting artists, who incorporated Afro-Caribbean influences into their music and wrote songs about the island, such as Jimmy Buffet’s “Volcano.” Moreover, several bands recorded videos there that received heavy rotation on MTV, then a new channel airing music videos 24 hours a day. Nick Rhodes, keyboardist and founding member of Duran Duran, describes AIR Montserrat as “a glorious dream” of a recording studio now lost forever “like Atlantis.” After the hurricane, a 1995 volcano eruption destroyed Montserrat’s airport and capital city. The music stars were long gone by then, and two thirds of the population of roughly 4,500 had to flee the island.

Nostalgia permeates Under the Volcano, the second feature from Australian director Gracie Otto, to its detriment. Nostalgia isn’t necessarily problematic, and plenty of Gen Xers still love the synth-y songs of the New Wave era. This is the documentary’s apparent target audience, and I fit the demographic. That forty-something wearing glasses and a t-shirt with a picture of a cassette tape? It me. But Under the Volcano mostly expresses longing for something viewers can’t relate to: partaking of the freewheeling hedonism of the late-twentieth-century music industry.

Artists and AIR insiders express nostalgia for escaping into a paradise free from media, fans, controlling executives, and connection to the outside world, where nearly all their wishes would be fulfilled. At best, Montserrat helped recording artists realize their potential: for instance, Verdine White of Earth, Wind & Fire observes that the location prompted musical growth. At worst, it served as a playground for rich, entitled party animals -- nearly all white men from developed nations -- who reflect some of the music industry’s worst stereotypes. Only one artist of color appears, and all the creatives interviewed are all male. Although women artists like Kate Bush, Olivia Newton-John, Diana Ross, and Siouxie Sioux recorded at AIR London, it seems none of them went to Montserrat. Meanwhile, plenty of Montserrans served AIR’s famous visitors, and they gush about receiving generous tips. For instance, Stevie Wonder took over a local bar as it was closing for the evening, played until 4 am, and then gave the house band $5,000 cash. To its credit, Under the Volcano does not ignore any of this, but failing to address it weakens the film.

Editing is another one of its weaknesses. Random cuts prevent the series of anecdotes from cohering into a narrative. But Under the Volcano has some strengths, including its use of archival images and footage. Among these are candid photos of some of the biggest names in popular music from a time when skinny bodies in short shorts were the male beauty standard, as well as showstopping audio from that impromptu, late-night Stevie Wonder performance. Lovers of ‘80s music and fans of the artists featured will find even more to enjoy. There’s the story behind Sting singing backup on the Dire Straits’ massive hit “Money for Nothing,” as well as that entertaining game I call “Which Aging Music Stars Look Best/Worst Now?” One can even conjecture about who declined an interview and why. Unfortunately, the final act devolves into mourning the analog recording technologies rendered obsolete by the digital revolution. Yeah, this is a thing, but seriously? It’s hard to relate to people who point to digital sound recording as a key problem of the twenty-first century. In fact, such people make me angry.

Under the Volcano admits that AIR Montserrat wasn’t for everyone. The location was too humid and remote for Duran Duran, while Lou Reed needed to hear traffic to be creative. Meanwhile, the artists who loved it fondly remember their Atlantis. Many of them performed in the Music for Montserrat benefit concert held after the volcano erupted. But like the Beach Boys, who name-check the island in “Kokomo” (1988), they seem to long for an idealized “Montserrat mystique” instead of a real place.