Region: A
Video: COLOR, Enchanced Widescreen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio: Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel Language: English Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, ko, th
Plot Synopsis
Martin Scorsese's documentary of the 1976 final performance of the legendary Sixties rock group The Band is at once a show featuring some of the greatest rock performers of their generation and a bittersweet look back at an era that was just beginning to fade. As Scorsese guides the group through interview segments discussing their 15 years together, these relatively young men sound like battle-weary survivors. But The Band were in splendid form for this show, and their multiple guest stars pulled out all the stops, especially Muddy Waters, whose "Mannish Boy" is so powerful it nearly burns a hole in the screen; Van Morrison, with a rousing performance of "Caravan;" and Bob Dylan, whose "Baby Let Me Follow You Down" displays the brilliant cockiness of his barnstorming days with this band. The all-star camera crew and superb stereo sound mix create what is considered to be of the best-looking and sounding rock films ever (as the opening credit says, play this movie loud!), and two studio-shot sequences with Emmylou Harris and The Staple Singers stand on their own. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Editorial Reviews:
Scorsese begins his movie with the last song the Band performed that day because he is establishing that the subject of The Last Waltz is not primarily the Band or its members, but the songs themselves. By giving the emotional payoff for the players right at the top of the film, Scorsese allows the audience to concentrate on the music that fills the rest of the film. Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, and Garth Hudson each have memorable moments in front of the camera during Scorsese's informal interviews, but what emerges is less a document of a band breaking up than a tribute to the glorious music these men are capable of playing. The key to the film can be found in a short moment about 45 minutes into the film -- a backstage performance by Manuel (harmonica), Danko (fiddle and vocal), and Robertson (guitar and vocal) of the standard "Old Time Religion." As Danko and Robertson's voices intertwine, the guitar keeps the rhythm, and the fiddle makes a glorious sound. Yes, the Band certainly investigated American roots music like "Old Time Religion," but in this context the song takes on a broader meaning -- the religion is music. In this intimate performance Scorsese's camera illustrates both the passion the performers have for their religion, as well as the emotion the director himself has for it. The rest of the film's performances are dedicated to the Band performing for others, but this moment gives the audience a glimpse of these talented men in the equivalent of prayer. Scorsese's restless camera is a good match for the music. The Band often traded lead vocal duties within songs. Note how the camera movement during "The Weight" is both kinetic and precise, finding Mavis Staples, Rick Danko, and Pops Staples just as they begin their respective verses. An impressive marriage of visuals and sound, The Last Waltz is a glorious document of our recent musical past. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide