Watch SID! By Those Who Really Knew Him

SID! By Those Who Really Knew Him is a 2009 documentary film about the life of punk rock icon Sid Vicious. The film features interviews with people who were close to him, including his mother, his band members in both the Sex Pistols and the band he formed after leaving them, and various friends and acquaintances. The film begins with a montage of footage of the Sex Pistols and Vicious at their height in the late 1970s, and then proceeds to chronicle Vicious's life from his upbringing in London through his rise to fame and eventual downfall. Throughout the film, interviewees share their memories and insights into Vicious's turbulent life, chronicling his struggles with drug addiction, his relationships with his girlfriend Nancy Spungen and the other members of the Sex Pistols, and his eventual arrest and death.

One of the most interesting aspects of the film is the way in which it portrays Vicious as both a victim of circumstance and a willing participant in his own descent into self-destruction. The interviews with his mother, who speaks candidly about her own struggles with addiction and her difficult relationship with her son, shed light on the personal demons that Vicious was grappling with even before he became famous. Other interviewees discuss the toxic influence of people like Malcolm McLaren, the Pistols' manager, who they feel exploited Vicious's vulnerabilities for his own gain.

At the same time, the film is careful not to absolve Vicious of responsibility for his actions. Interviewees speak frankly about his violent tendencies, his tendency to lash out at those closest to him, and his apparent lack of concern for the consequences of his actions. This complex, nuanced portrayal of Vicious is one of the film's great strengths, as it avoids both hagiography and demonization in favor of a more nuanced, humanizing approach.

Another highlight of the film is the wealth of archival footage it includes, much of which has never been released before. Fans of the Sex Pistols and punk rock in general will likely be thrilled to see rare footage of the band performing live, as well as candid behind-the-scenes moments from their early days. The film also includes a lot of footage of Vicious himself, both onstage and off, which helps to bring his story to life in a vivid, visceral way.

Throughout the film, an overarching theme emerges: the sense that Vicious was always something of an outsider, even within the punk rock scene he helped to create. Several interviewees note that he seemed to be searching for a sense of belonging and purpose, and that he never quite found it. This sense of alienation and dislocation is reflected in the film's title, which emphasizes the fact that it is narrated by those who knew Vicious personally, rather than by biographers or journalists looking in from the outside.

Overall, SID! By Those Who Really Knew Him is a fascinating, moving portrait of a complicated, enigmatic figure whose life and legacy have loomed large over the punk rock landscape for decades. Whether you're a diehard Pistols fan or simply curious about the man behind the myth, this documentary is well worth checking out.