Roger Waters The Wall is in limited theatrical release and we've experienced it!
It’s no secret Pink Floyd’s landmark 1979
album The Wall is a landmark
achievement in music history. Beloved by
fans around the world and regarded as the album which would ultimately dissolve
chief songwriter Roger Waters’ relationship with the band, it’s the story of
Pink, a burnt out rock star who grows completely isolated from his fellow man
as he slips into madness in his hotel room.
It’s a timeless masterpiece whose epic scale is as large and spectacular
as the celebrated live show in which a brick wall was built between the band
and the audience over the course of the show.
After Waters left Pink Floyd, he would resurrect The Wall once again in 1990 in Berlin with a number of guest
performers aiding the concert and most recently toured a revised live show
between 2010 and 2013.
Following and
documenting his tour, Waters co-directed the recently released documentary
concert film Roger Waters The Wall
which chronicles the 72 year old Waters’ spectacular concert and most
surprisingly of all provides a wraparound narrative concerning Waters private
spiritual battle with his demons primarily involving the death of his father in
WWII. Much of the concert is
interspersed with these remarkable scenes of Waters driving through Britain to
Anzio, Italy to confront the site of his father’s death. It’s a startlingly personal self-portrait of
grief and closure which in hindsight is far closer to Waters’ original
cinematic vision for The Wall than
the 1982 Alan Parker film.
Originally The Wall film from 1982 was intended to highlight the live show by
Pink Floyd when to Waters’ apprehension Alan Parker took a more direct
narrative approach to the album instead.
Initially it was suggested that Waters himself play the role of Pink
before the role ultimately went to Bob Geldof who played the role pretty well
but true to Waters’ complaints the 1982 film lacked a sense of humor. With this new film-within-a-concert-film
narrative thread, Waters finally gets to sort of play Pink, who was more or
less an extension of Waters’ personality.
The scenes of Waters roaming the bleak landscape of Britain on his way
to Italy, interspersed with interactions with friends, family and ghosts of
long lost loved ones are spellbinding!
You really have to wonder why when watching these scenes why Waters didn’t
take up film acting. A vibrant and
sharply witted personality full of charisma and confident stage as well as
onscreen presence, he’s terrific and manages to imbue his scenes with deeply
felt emotion and honesty. It’s also very
brave particular in moments where Waters confronts his unresolved grief
regarding his father’s death. Staring at
a family photo during Another Brick in
the Wall Pt. 1, tears streaming down his face, this is as close to Waters’
most personal space as an outsider to his own carefully constructed wall as
we’re likely to ever get. For all the
years I’ve followed Pink Floyd and Waters’ solo career, it’s a wrenching look
at an intensely private moment in Waters’ life.
The concert footage, it goes without
saying, is fantastic! Shot and
exquisitely framed in 2.35:1 widescreen with newly computer animated sequences
projected onto the wall set as well as reworked Gerald Scarfe animation from
the 1982 film, this is one of the most well-made concert films with a narrative
thread linking it all together since the Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense. While many of the songs and inflatables of
the teacher, mother, girlfriend and finally the neo-Nazi pig are familiar to
countless fans, Waters manages to surprise with many new technical innovations
including crystal clear images projected onto the wall and new song transitions
never heard before! If there’s any minor
complaint to make of the whole thing, it has to do with the specificity of
Waters’ political targets.
Throughout
the show, images of citizens who have lost their lives to war are projected
onto the wall and there were times when my thoughts drifted to the song The Fletcher Memorial Home when Waters
names off a derisive laundry list of political figures. Despite the new Wall show feeling a bit preachy with these additions, this is as
close to Waters’ original intentions for The
Wall film as well as a self-portrait of the man as we’re likely to ever
get. Following the picture was an
interview with both Roger Waters and Nick Mason sharing memories of Pink Floyd
as well as some much needed laughs to send everyone home feeling their evening
was well spent. While most people will
see Roger Waters The Wall either on
demand or wait until the impending blu-ray release, this was clearly meant to
be seen and heard in a theater with a large screen and big Dolby Atmos
sound! If you thought this was simply
going to be another concert film (a great one at that nonetheless), like Liam
Neeson wisely says in his introduction to the film, you’re in for a real
treat!
Score
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